Prehistoric Christmas Bash: A DaPPA Christmas Special
by Darksage95
Summary: It's nearly Christmas in Prehistoric Park and everyone is abuzz with the spirit of the season, including Hazel. That is, until she received a call from her mother. Her grudge fresh in her mind, she refuses to have anything to do with her. As she tries to forget the incident, she finds that humans aren't the only ones with a holiday season. Will her Christmas be saved in time?
1. Holiday Down the Drain

_**Hey guys. Marc-Ello and Darksage here with the long-awaited DaPPA Christmas Special. Now, before we begin, we just want to let you know that we put a lot of work into this story. It was originally planned to be released last year, but due to other conflicts that came our way and ill-timing, we couldn't get it up in time. We're so sorry about the huge delay, but we hope that this story will make up for it.**_

 _ **Now, since Christmas is coming up, we've decided to post the chapters simultaneously (right on time for Christmas). So expect updates within short periods of time.**_

 _ **Disclaimer: We don't own Prehistoric Park, Disney's Dinosaur, Walking with Dinosaurs, or Dinosaur Revolution. They belong to their respective owners. We also don't own the songs associated with the story.**_

 _ **Now without further ado, let's get this Christmas special on the road! Enjoy!**_

The smell of roasting chestnuts in the air. The sound of fire crackling on wood. Holly and tinsel draped over a beautiful terra-colored stone fireplace. And the sight of quiet falling snow blessed the window with a magnificent sight of winter.

The room was dimly lit, only having the fire as the source of light. Over to the left of the small room was an intricately carved circular mirror, which hung over a small, mahogany cabinet. The carpet was of a deep scarlet like that of a blooming poinsettia. On the right of the room was a large bookshelf containing brightly colored stories from many years past.

In the middle of the room was a lone red velvet recliner. The chair's arms were also draped in velvet, and were so cushioned that any arm could fall asleep on them. There was even a small table that stood next to it that had a cup of steaming hot cocoa sitting on it.

But what was so intriguing of the sight was not of the tiny room, the falling snow, nor the large imposing chair that sat in front of the fireplace. It was of the one who was sitting in the chair.

Reclined on the antique cushion was a large, ten-foot-tall bird with yellow feathers, black streaks on his body, a large beak that could crush anything with one stroke, and three feathers that stood above his head.

"Oh! Hello there! I didn't expect to see any of you here!" Espantos giggled. He then brought an antique cigar he had been holding on one of his feet towards his mouth. The Terror Bird quickly took one huff of it, let out a slight cough with a puff of smoke, and then smiled at his unseen audience.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Espantos! As for why I'm here, well I was off hunting for a snack when I accidentally found this place. I can't remember how I exactly got here, but who cares. This place is great! I feel like I'm in some kind of storybook!" he recanted towards the audience.

"Now, you guys probably know from one of my other visits that my kind has a holiday called Remembrance Jubilation, or Jubie Day for some. It's the day to celebrate my fallen brethren and to celebrate my species as a whole. But there was something I neglected to tell you guys," he then leaned in closer with one of his feet covering the side of his mouth. His tone turned into that of a whisper. "It turns out...there are other holidays celebrated during this time of year."

"CRAZY RIGHT!?" Espantos hollered then let out a laugh. "It's so interesting! I really have to tell you all about them! I even wrote a story so that you can all get the picture. And get this; everything in this story is all true..."

The Miocene denizen then used his lengthy neck to reach over to the side of the chair. With one quick movement, he hauled up a large, leather bound book with numerous dinosaur articulations at the front. From far away, it looked like some kind of antique storybook that could be found in old libraries. However, this one was brand new due to the fact that there were no ripped portions of the binding or any dust.

Using his strength, Espantos placed the book on his lap. He let out a squawk when the sudden weight of the book nearly crushed his leg bones. But that didn't really hurt him one bit.

"Now let's see," he said after using his beak to turn the cover to reach the first page. "This story that I wrote may be about the holidays that my friends at Prehistoric Park celebrate. But, it's also a story about one of my other friends too. A certain lady who we all adore so much...and has a knack for bringing back new friends on her trips. Yup! Her name is Hazelnut. You see, she may be a nice girl and adores everyone around her, but there's something that was missing in her life. She may be happy in Prehistoric Park, but things with her life weren't going so well. Or so I was told. I don't know, I just heard that from my friends at the park. She and her mama...well...let's just say they got into a huge yelling contest some time ago that ended in a draw. And this was way before I met Hazel-nut too. Since that time, she and her mama weren't getting along very well. Her family was breaking up...and she needed a miracle."

Espantos cleared his throat and shot a smile at his unseen visitors. "But sometimes! Miracles do happen! Especially around the holidays! Now sit back and relax! Because I'm about to tell you the story of peace, joy, family, and love...and a whole lot of FOOD!"

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Things were very busy around Prehistoric Park. And not in the usual daily routines where the staff members would tend to the Residents' needs or where staff members would go back in time to bring in some new additions. No, the Park was very busy because of what was coming in a few days.

All around, the staff members were either performing some daily routines, or helping with putting up the Christmas decorations. It was December 21 after all, and with Christmas coming, the urge to make the place festive for the holidays was at an all-time high. And with the amount of new Residents that came in many months before, specifically Aladar's herd, the park has been anything but slow.

Normally, the staff would hold a Christmas party on the 21st to celebrate the holidays. Then a large fraction of them would leave to go home and be with their families. Some of them would remain behind for their own reasons, or they feel that the Residents should not be left alone during such a glorious holiday. One staff member on the other hand never broke her tradition to go home.

Her name was Hazel, the youngest staff member in Prehistoric Park. Dressed up in a red cold shoulder tee and black jeans, she was showing off her Christmas spirit. Her hair had grown a bit longer, but she still managed to pull off the short hair parted off to the ride side style.

Today, she and her friends were helping to decorate the large Christmas tree that always stood vigil in the middle of the park at this time near the holding pens. The huge 80-foot tall pine tree that the Park keeps in a separate storage facility a few miles to the south would look imposing to anyone who saw it. But this tree was not real. There was no need to neither water it nor use any pesticides to keep it healthy.

The group comprising of various species large and small had managed to put up the Christmas lights, thanks to help from Zini, Aya, Suri, Plio, Yar, and even Flia. Baylene, Eema, Talin, Alden, Charon, Tirech, Aladar, Neera, Maya, Kaya, Saya, and even little Mikiya were helping by putting up the large round balls on the imposing vegetation. Being creatures of the distant past, except for young Mikiya, seeing these items drew up many questions about this tradition, and of the human holiday overall.

"So you guys really put up trees like this to celebrate this 'Christmas'?" Aladar questioned the human who held a giant glittering gold ball in her hands. Since the tree was so huge, Hazel needed help with putting up the decorations that were too high for humans to reach. Thankfully, the ball she was holding wasn't that heavy and she had friends that could help her reach those heights. In this case, she was riding on Aladar and would go on his head to get to the spot where the ball would go.

"Yup!" she declared. Once the ornithopod got to a certain section of the tree, Hazel balanced herself towards his head. The _Iguanodon_ then reared up on his hind legs and slowly elevated the human to a higher portion, albeit causing her to yelp a bit. She then used the strong, golden clad wire on the ball to hang it on one of the sturdy branches. "It's a tradition that humans started hundreds of years ago. We put up trees like this because it's just one of the symbols of Christmas. And then we decorate them with these colorful balls and trinkets called ornaments, and then put up special lights that would make it look prettier at night."

One of the lemurs, a female with most white fur with brown patches, nimbly climbed down the branches and sat down on one of them to be closer to the human.

"This 'Christmas', it's something you humans celebrate once a year?" Plio asked her.

Hazel nodded. "Yup. Christmas is truly a time of celebration. It's a time of peace, love, joy, and togetherness. Many cultures have different interpretations of the holiday, but the main one is that it's about being together with those you care about. It's a time when...everyone is brought together as a family. Where no one should be alone. Where there is no fighting. Where the mantra "giving is better than taking" is everywhere."

"And it's also about presents, singing, playing, and partying!" Mikiya giggled as she rolled a scarlet red ornament on the ground towards the tree.

The human shrugged shoulders. "Well...I guess those count too."

"Url! Those things are not for eating!" a gravelly voice boomed from off to the left.

Looking over in that direction, the group noticed a certain elderly _Styracosaurus_ lumbering towards a playful Ankylosaur. Eema had finished gingerly emptying the box full of tinsels when she noticed Url jump into the pile. Apparently, he thought they were some kind of new snack for him. The tinsels, comprising of gold and silver, were now strewn all around him like cobwebs. One of the gold streamers was now in his mouth.

"Spit that out! Right now!" She ordered him. Unfortunately, Url had other plans, He bolted from his guardian and ran around the tree, thus spreading the tinsel around the base.

During the armored dinosaur's "rampage", he nearly collided with the _Iguanodon_ triplets, who were all practicing perfect posture by balancing an ornament on their heads. The jade, pink, and lavender colored ornithopods desperately moved around in different directions in an attempt to prevent the ornaments from falling. Their attempts worked and they succeeded in walking gracefully towards the tree, where they carefully placed the small silver, purple, and gold balls on separate branches.

Url even passed by Neera and the other children, who were carefully bringing out the star for Baylene to put on top of the tree. The Ankylosaur accidentally collided into Charon, which caused her to lose her footing and thus almost caused the glittering white and beige star of Bethlehem to fall off of Talin, Alden, and Tirech's head. The kids yelped and swayed from side to side as they tried to balance the star again. Thankfully, with Neera's help by placing her hoof on it, the star ceased to move and the children regained their footing.

In the end, Url collapsed out of exhaustion and left a whole tinsel trail around the tree. Eema managed to catch up to the little armored dinosaur, ready to scold him.

"Url! You little nut! Look what you did! Now we got to clean this up! No ferns for you tonight!"

The Ankylosaur pouted and groaned sadly.

"Oh come now Eema," an elderly woman with a British accent sounded from above. When the Styracosaurus looked up, the towering form of Baylene lowered her head to the smaller ceratopsian's level. "He was just having fun. Though he nearly caused all of these...decorations to break, you shouldn't be so hard on him."

Eema let out a huff and looked back at the younger comrade. "Fine. But as punishment, you need to help clean this up."

The sadness on Url's face melted away instantaneously. The Ankylosaur got up and began to gather the tinsel in his mouth, thus helping the others pick up the whole mess. While they were doing that, however, they failed to notice a certain engineer approach them from behind.

Unlike the other days, where he would be dressed in a fan attire such as an Avengers T-shirt or some other form of media appreciation, Marcus chose to wear a bright red T-shirt that showed the face of Jack Skellington as "Sandy Claws". Nightmare Before Christmas was one of his favorite movies when he was a kid, and with Christmas coming soon, it was the perfect time to wear it, along with his favorite ripped jeans.

"Da nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah," he hummed out loud to the song he was listening to. Whether it was a normal day at work or a day off, Marcus never left without his phone and a pair of black earphones. Due to the holidays, he decided to listen to one of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's albums, and his song of choice at the moment was Christmas Eve/Sarajevo.

His humming had attracted the attention of everyone around him. While Hazel found it entertaining to see him play an air guitar with his hands and nodding his head to the beat, the others couldn't make heads or tails of what the engineer was doing. It looked like he was singing to himself.

"Uh Marcus?" Neera started, trying to attract his attention.

"Ba da duh duh," he jammed.

"Marcus?" Yar went next. He climbed down from one of the branches in order to get closer to the incoming human.

A moment passed and he was still jamming to his music. Wanting to know what was making him so attracted to his songs, the whole group, minus Hazel, did the only thing to attract his attention.

"MARCUS!" they all yelled.

At that moment, the man yelped in surprise and fell on his bottom. The earphones he carried fell off his ears. It was a good thing his phone was in his side pocket, otherwise his favorite device would have been crushed by his own weight.

"Jesus! What the heck!? I was listening to my favorite song!" he retorted. He slowly got back up and wiped the dirt off of his clothes.

"Sorry," the alpha male apologized. "But we just wanted to know what the whole fuss was about."

"Oh," Marcus began putting his earphones away with haste. Bringing out his earphone case, he began to roll up the wired contraption for storage. "I was just listening to a Christmas song. You know, since the holidays are coming."

"Wow, this Christmas holiday is really festive," Neera chuckled.

"Yeah. Oh right! I came here for a reason," he mentioned and dug out a phone from one of his pockets. It wasn't his because it had a purple and black casing on it while his had a pure orange military grade case. "Hazel, you left your phone back at my workshop."

Said woman widened her eyes and felt her back pocket for the familiar feel of the device she always kept on her. "Oh. Fancy that. I guess I did leave it there."

"You got a missed call too," Marcus continued.

"From who?" Hazel cocked an eyebrow up.

The engineer grimaced and flipped the phone in his right hand. His expression brought intense curiosity to the young staff member. "It's your mom."

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Hazel's Room...Prehistoric Park Staff Barracks

When someone thinks of the holidays, they would think of fun, joy and merriment with those you care about. Everyone would be jolly all around. Decorations would be put up to celebrate the biggest celebration in the world. Parties would occur nearly every night. And people would be rushing around buying presents for the big day. Christmas was a happy holiday, meaning that there shouldn't be any negative feelings.

Well . . . unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Hazel. She had to leave her friends with the tree decorating so that she could call her mother. At least Marcus was there to help guide them with finishing the tree. But she would rather be there, helping to put the large star at the top rather than be in her quiet, tidy room over at the staff living quarters talking to the one person she learned to hate.

Of all the people she had to talk to at this time, did it have to be the person she hated intensely? Sure, the holidays were about being with your family and spending time with them, but Hazel's mother was anything but those. She pretty much ruined her daughter's life by spending less and less time with her after her husband died. She pretty much was never around during the important times of Hazel's life; her sweet 16, her prom date with her friends, not even her high school graduation. Heck, she never really came during the past Christmases. Her mother only ever called her once a year too, so why should she waste her time with her this time?

"You sure got some nerve calling me again," she hissed at her phone.

" _What? I can't call my own daughter during the holidays?_ " Beth, her mother, replied unfazed on the phone.

"The last time you called me was over a year ago. I know your schedule; you only call once a year."

" _I'm sorry I haven't been able to keep in touch with you. You know my job, it's demanding,"_ her mother apologized over the phone.

"But you couldn't find the time to talk to me or Hanna, not even for a few minutes of your time," Hazel retorted vehemently. "Not even when we were younger either."

" _I'm sorry Hazel. I'm sorry I put you and Hanna through all that. But you must know that all the work I've done was for the both of you. It's to support you both._ "

A moment of silence passed. Hazel did know that her mom spent all of her time away from her daughters because she was trying to support them. But she didn't make much of an effort to come and visit them when she was needed. All they had to rely on were their grandparents, who passed away years ago. Hanna may be staying with her friends, or other relatives for all she knew, but it was because of her mother that Hazel was now living in Prehistoric Park; not that there was any problem with it. This place was her home now, and she now had the best family she could ever have.

But every time her mother called, the girl couldn't help but remember the times when she was never around. She never came during the past Christmases, she never came on her and her sister's birthdays, she was never around when their grandparents died.

"Why did you call? Was it just to tell me all that?" Hazel once again told her with another hint of venom in her tone.

" _Well, I spoke with your sister earlier. I...I want to make amends with the both of you. I managed to get some time off from work so I can be with you both. And with the holidays coming, what better way to do that than to have a little reunion? It'll be at our house, back in Florida. Hanna agreed to come along. It'll be just like the good old days_ ," Beth explained sweetly.

The younger woman scoffed. "Just like the good old days...Mom, where were you when we needed you? You were never around! Lolo and Lola took over your job, and they did a pretty damn good one at that! But you!? You barely called us! Not even a single text too! Why, in the past, I would take the time to send you long text messages, explaining how my days went and how I was doing. I told you all my ups, and all my downs. I would stay up nights just for a reply from you. But did you reply? NO!"

" _Hazel, could you just listen-_ "

Hazel let out a yell of frustration. "NO! Mom, you had your chances and you blew them! Why should I give you another one? You're just going to do the same thing again once it's all over. I've grown up, and I have a job. I've got a new home too where I intend to spend the holidays...without you!"

" _You're going to spend Christmas? Alone? With complete strangers?_ " Beth was flabbergasted at the mention of Hazel's new home.

"They're my FRIENDS! And they along with Nigel have taken care of me since Lolo and Lola died."

Beth let out a grieving sigh. " _Well...at least I know you're safe. I'm sorry to take up your time. I'll leave you alone now._ "

"Good! I got to get back to work anyway!"

" _I...I hope you and your friends have a Merry Christmas_ ," her mother sobbed over the phone. " _And...I'm sorry…_ "

"Whatever," Hazel spat and quickly ended the call.

Once she did hang up on her, the young Asian felt a slight stab in her stomach. She was experienced enough to know that it was the sense of guilt. Hazel knew that saying all that did hurt her mom's feelings, and her own as well. But after all she went through, she felt it was something her mom deserved. She and Hanna were basically abandoned after all.

No matter. Hazel had done this before when her mother tried to call her in the past. A day with her friends and maybe a hot bath later tonight would fix her up.

Intent on forgetting the emotional ordeal she went through, Hazel quickly left her room, slamming the door on her way out. As she walked down the empty, white-tiled hallway floor, she hoped that this situation would just fade away into the dark recesses of her mind.

Little did she know that she was being watched during her whole conversation. If she had pulled apart the blinds that covered her front porch, she would have noticed five lemurs and a lone _Pteranodon_ stare sullenly in her room. Flia, Plio, Yar, Zini, Suri, and Aya had heard the whole conversation through the glass doors. After seeing her walk away from them with annoyance on her face, they were worried of the kind of problem she would face. And they were right to follow.

None of them replied to each other when the human left. They just looked at each other with worry. They hoped that any one of them would have a way to fix this, but everyone stayed quiet. If they knew anything about their human friend, it's that this sort of thing requires time as a form of recovery. But they didn't realize that this sort of thing was going on for years.

The feeling of helplessness on their mind, the group quickly evacuated the vicinity to return to the rest of their friends. In their minds, they hoped that maybe later today, they could do something about this family problem Hazel was facing.


	2. More Than One Holiday

_**Nothing much to say here…except that we don't own Disney's Dinosaur, Prehistoric Park, Walking with Dinosaurs, and Dinosaur Revolution. We also don't own the songs.**_

 _ **Enjoy!**_

Titanosaur Treetops…

After her grueling yelling match with her mother, Hazel wished to forget about that time. And what better to do that than to take a walk around the park. Perhaps seeing the decorations along with the Residents going about their day would ease her emotions. It did help her in the past after all.

The first destination in her venting route was the Titanosaur Treetops. Hazel thought it would be a good idea to visit the sauropods first, since they were the closest Residents to the Barracks.

On her way there, Hazel was greeted by some more welcoming sights. Some of the staff members were putting up smaller Christmas trees to decorate the plain looking area. Like the giant Christmas tree close to the Holding Pens, these were fake as well, thus were easily transportable. One by one, the staff members brought in the smaller trees by pick up trucks, and all of them were in the process of being decorated. There were even a few staff members who were placing some barrier poles around the Christmas trees, just so that any roaming Resident would know not to get too close to them.

Once she got to the home of the sauropods, she expected them to be eating off of the trees, or picking stones from the wheelbarrows the staff members brought in earlier. She did not expect them to be vocalizing all at once.

The Titanosaur bellows boomed once she arrived there. The symphony she heard was also mixed with the raspy calls of the _Diplodocus_ and the _Supersaurus_. It was like she just got pushed in head first into some kind of an orchestra, only the sounds were akin to that of a whole pod of whales. Thankfully, she didn't lose her hearing when they started making all those sounds. But the frequency they were playing at would make anyone feel like they were in a music hall.

One by one, the sauropods would trumpet. Clearwater, who was in the middle of the grove, was bellowing at his loudest; the youngling would stand on his rear legs for one loud bellow before slamming back down. His action worried Hazel on his leg cast, but it seemed to have held on just fine.

When one of the other sauropods would finish bellowing, another would pick up where the other left off. It's as if they would continue with just a single note. Then the next minute, they would all change into a different pitch, yet the whole symphony would be synonymous.

To Hazel, it was like listening to a prehistoric church choir. The sounds were mellow and dramatic, yet they were beautiful to listen to. The mixture of altos, tenors, and even a couple of basses and one soprano completed the whole serenade. And like some choirs, there were no words in this masterpiece.

Minutes passed before the _Borealosaurus, Diplodocus,_ and _Supersaurus_ ceased their chorale. One blink brought the human back to reality. She had no idea how long she had been standing there, but she did realize that the singing the sauropods were doing put her into some kind of trance. Most likely because she was so enchanted by their song that she had lost her feel of reality.

The giants all relaxed and began to chatter amongst themselves. It was at this time that Hazel decided to determine what was really going on. And she had found the best individual to interrogate due to the fact that her target was passing by her.

Her chosen interviewee was a certain female _Borealosaurus_ that had a bright red streak across her nostril ridge.

"Hey Yin!" Hazel called out to her with her hands parallel to her mouth.

The sauropod stopped in her tracks. Looking from side to side, she tried to look for the source of the child-like voice she heard. At first, she thought it was one of the _Microraptors_ calling to her, or one of the keepers wanting to have a moment of her time. When she found the source, she was surprised, yet welcomed to see the park's youngest staff member in her presence.

"Oh! Hello Hazel! I didn't see you down there," Yin greeted melodiously. "My apologies."

"Nah. Don't worry about it. Seems like you, your Flock, Charles and his herd, and Woodstock and her son are pretty vocal today. And by vocal, I mean when I first stepped into your area, it was like I was in some kind of concert. There some kind of a special occasion going on?" Hazel inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

The head _Borealosaurus_ widened her eyes then lowered her head at the human's height. "Oh! I'm glad you asked. Not many individuals would inquire about our culture. I'm surprised the other keepers didn't even ask that. Well...then again, back then, you humans couldn't really understand us."

"Right, right," the human let out a slight chuckle. "The perks of having these Communicators."

Yin cleared her throat and began to explain the reason for her Flock's antics. "Well, since you were wondering Hazel, today is a very special occasion for me and my Flock. You see, today marks the day when this Flock was first established."

Hazel cocked an eyebrow up. "Established? You mean, when this Flock was formed?"

"Correct," the sauropod nodded. "And it was long before I became leader too. Amongst our species, we celebrate the days when we first became a herd. We do so by recanting melodies passed down by other herds we and our ancestors were a part of. It's to show that we all have different origins, but it's those origins that make us unique, and thus brings us all together."

"I see...so today is like the anniversary of when this Flock was made. And you do so by putting up a concert made up of the songs you all learned when you were young and when you were all part of different herds," the girl summarized to the best of her ability.

"That's right. Charles and his group are going along with it as well, since they celebrate something similar. We haven't had a gathering this big in…well…ever," Yin shot a smile of satisfaction at her for completely understanding. "You know, thinking of my Flock has also made me think of everyone else here at Prehistoric Park. I mean...their antics. I don't know if it's the day or just me losing my mind, but there's something odd going on with everybody."

Hazel's face turned into one of confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well," the Flock alpha started after clearing her throat. "I was just making my usual rounds around the park, you know, for some greenery that are usually not in this area, when I noticed the other Residents acting quite jovial today. I mean, happier than usual. They're doing all sorts of things too."

"Things?"

"Yes. Things that I can't quite make heads or tales of. I haven't seen Espantos today or a few days before, but I heard from Breezy that he's been...quite busy lately. With what? We don't know. But I do know that he's so busy that members of Breezy's guild had to take over with the daily news for the past few days due to his absence," Yin recalled with certainty.

"Strange...that's not like Espantos at all…" the girl put her index finger and thumb, thus taking on a deep thought position.

Yin leaned in a little closer so that she could whisper in the human's ear. "You think you could go around and check up on everyone else here at the park? I would really like to know...oh how do you humans say it? 'What the deal is?'"

Hazel responded with a nod. "Sure thing Yin. I'm actually pretty curious now that you told me all that."

"Thank you dear," she told her. When she said that, the other sauropods bellowed once again, this time in melodies that didn't sound a synonymous as the previous one. It sounded grating to the ears, but to anyone who knew a thing or two about music, it was quite a normal thing. Due to Hazel's experience with playing the piano and flute in the past, she could clearly tell that the gentle behemoths were warming up for their next performance.

"Well I'd better get going," Yin said and reared her head back in its normal position. "Wouldn't want to be left behind in our next performance. By my count, I think it's Zhao's turn to lead."

"Alright! Good luck then!" Hazel gave her a salute in the form of a quick touch of her forehead with her second and third fingers on her right hand followed by a small wave. Her action was then followed by a farewell in her kind's language before she departed in the opposite direction.

Passing by a couple of bushes, she left the herd of Asian herbivores to their jovial antics. Far behind, she could clearly hear their next song, which was much more upbeat than the last one. This time, the sauropods were taking turns with vocalizing in shorter intervals rather than spending four to six beats at a time on one note.

As she traveled further away from Titanosaur Treetops, Hazel couldn't help but ponder on the conversation she had with Yin. Her Flock was made around this time? And they celebrate by singing the songs of their ancestors? It's like they're celebrating their species as a whole.

It was too much of a coincidence. That and she mentioned everyone in the park was in a flurry of action, and were happier than usual.

Wanting to figure out what was going on with everyone else, Hazel set off for the next set of Residents. Little did she know that she was going to get more than she bargained for in addition to everyone being in a good mood.

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Near Terror Bird Fields…

Later that afternoon

When Hazel pondered about Yin's observance earlier in the day, she expected everyone to just be having a good day. Maybe they had more food than usual? Maybe they're just in a bright happy mood? Maybe they were told something funny? Or maybe something was put into their meals that made them all hyper? She really did not expect everyone to have some kind of holiday spirit.

Passing by the _Plateosaurus_ was the next destination on her route. Normally, the prosauropods would be playing, chatting, sleeping, or doing some practice vocalizing. She was caught by surprise when she noticed them all gathered around in a circle with a lone individual in the middle.

She didn't want to interfere and ask what they were doing, as they were in the middle of the event, but her curiosity was at an all time high. So Hazel stuck around for a few minutes. From what she was hearing, the individual, whom she found out was Rina due to the dark spot on her right cheek and the lightish gray color along on her back, was the telling the whole group stories about monsters that her ancestors came across long ago.

Being a paleontologist in training and a very good listener, Hazel deduced the so-called predators that Rina spoke of as _Proterosuchus_ , _Postosuchus_ , and _Herrerasaurus_ ; all of which were in different portions of the Triassic. Of course, she did hear that Rina was jumping around from one ancestor to the other, so that explained it.

The storytelling was having the intended effect on the audience. Numerous reactions arose, ranging from surprised, frightened, to skeptical, and eager. And that didn't stop there either.

Once Rina was done, Thena, the leading lady of the _Plateosaurus_ group, was the one who went next. Instead of going down the scary story route that Rina went, Thena spoke of some happy memories she had when she was younger.

Judging from what she was witnessing, Hazel figured that the Triassic denizens were sharing stories with each other. She shook her head and moved onward. There wasn't anything too serious in this area.

The next area she visited was _Triceratops_ Creek. Once again, she was met with prehistoric antics that were out of the ordinary. Well...for the most part. Theo was the park's first Resident to arrive in the 21st century and was an adolescent at the time. On some days, it would be normal to see a few keepers, including Bob, go on one of those Tricera-tractors and joust with the young male. From what Hazel had heard back when she first arrived in the Park, it was to help Theo vent due to a rise in testosterone levels.

It would be completely normal to see that today. However, instead she saw a whole crowd of keepers gathered around the enclosure and cheering on as if there were some kind of game. It was unusual enough for the _Triceratops_ to get a full-blown audience, but it was even odder to see not just Theo, but his female companion Eleanor join in on the fun.

Hazel couldn't help but gawk when she saw a second Tricera-tractor charge in, this time at the young female ceratopsian. From what she knew about animals from all of her years in education, it was that the males were the ones to do all the fighting, especially when it came to defending territory or competing for mates. Females would usually fight for territory as well, or if they were in danger, but they wouldn't fight for mates. Seeing Eleanor fight in this manner was unheard of for the _Triceratops_ species. How Bob was able to make one within a short period of time and when he started was beyond her. But those contraptions were doing their job as the horned dinosaurs seemed to be having the time of their lives.

" _Maybe they just wanted to have a bit of competition?"_ Hazel wondered.

Before she left the vicinity, she did ask one of the employees who was leaving. A young man well in his mid-thirties and was about 6'1", didn't hesitate to answer her question. According to him, Theo and Ellie said that this time of year was a time where members of their species show how strong they are, and they do so by holding jousting contests and gather as much greens as they can to keep up their energy. Since they were the only _Triceratops_ there, they requested to joust against those Tricera-tractors. Bob was well aware of it as well and started building one not too long ago. It was a good idea too, since Ellie would have a way to do some practice jousting as a form of recreation.

With the purpose of this event now ingrained in her head, Hazel thanked the employee and departed the area. Though she was satisfied, she was feeling a pang of jealousy due to the couple having fun. Of course, with Christmas on the way, everyone is in a jolly good mood.

Not her though. Due to that phone call with her mom, she wasn't in the mood to celebrate. And seeing them happy was starting to make her feel frustrated.

The girl quickly made her way around the Park with haste. What was supposed to be a way to make her forget about her fight, seeing the Residents happy was making her feel even worse. For the carnivores like Diablo, Rascal, the Rex twins, and Irwin, they were either sleeping the day away, like Diablo and Rascal or they were doing wacky stuff like having eating contests, specifically Terrence and Matilda, or even doing some training sessions with this time's locals, as was the case with Irwin and the modern day crocodiles.

When she passed by the _Ornithomimus_ pond, she saw it to be empty. Instead, the whole flock was over in the field that the male elephants would hang out at. She noticed something similar to what the _Triceratops_ were doing. They had a lot of food not too far away from them, specifically mounds of duck feed recently carted in along with a couple more mounds consisting of berries. Instead of sparring, like what Theo and Ellie were doing, they were racing against each other. And like the latter, numerous keepers were supervising. They were cheering, of course, and some of them had foldable chairs, cans of beer, and were eating food they packed from the Dining Hall.

The other Residents she passed by were also in a jolly good mood, making Hazel feel all the more unhappy. She spotted a couple of the keepers conversing with Al and Alyssa over at their enclosure about what the celebrations were about; both of which were taking it in stride. Hiding nearby were Caius the _Ornitholestes_ , Flit the _Rhamphorhynchus_ , and Broken Jaw the _Allosaurus_ _lucasi_. No doubt they were making sure they stayed out of sight around the two _Allosaurus_ _fragilis_ after what happened weeks ago. They too were listening in on the conversation…but she guessed Broken Jaw's presence there meant he wanted to get a good look at Alyssa in one of her happy moments.

The bugs in the Bug House were louder than usual, and when she interviewed them, they told her that the human antics outside were making them go crazy for some reason. No doubt the Christmas spirit was starting to rub off on them. Bruno and his tribe were happy as well, since they were in their own sparring contest. However, unlike the _Triceratops_ , Hazel was told that it was to "fight for the glory of their ancestors".

Hazel was nearing her tipping point. Seeing the Residents happy made her think back to her mother's words on wanting to spend time with her. Everyone was happy because they had each other. She was supposed to be happy because she had her friends, no her FAMILY here to be with. Yet...she couldn't stop thinking about her mother and sister, who were her own kin. Her frustrations were at their peak when she visited the _Elasmotherium_. Although he had no holiday to celebrate, he was oddly cordial towards her. He was trying to keep it hidden, but he was trying to shrug off all the Christmas festivities that were happening all around him. Apparently, the holiday spirit was rubbing off on him too.

Wanting to get away from the holiday madness, at least for a bit, Hazel rushed on over back to where the barracks were. Seeing the Residents celebrating their own holidays was giving her a headache along with some negative feelings. What she needed right now was to lie down and take a nap.

Unfortunately, her attempt at getting back to her room without any interruption was foiled when a certain Terror Bird rushed passed her.

"Holy-!" she shrieked as she nearly lost her footing.

When she adjusted herself, she noticed the zany hyper-carnivore was in a jolly good mood, as usual, however, he was carrying something in this beak. The slanted, squared white shape with the Prehistoric Park logo bearing the green _Apatosaurus_ over the park's title were obvious indications of a jeep door. No doubt the Terror Bird easily ripped it out and was planning to use it for some zany event.

"Sorry about that Hazelnut!" Espantos apologized to her after skidding to a stop.

"What's the big rush? And what's with that jeep door?" Hazel inquired to the panting _Phorusrhacos_.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you! Tomorrow's a very special day, and it's something that's celebrated every year! You see, tomorrow is Remembrance Jubilation! Or Jubie Day as some like to call it."

Hazel cocked an eyebrow up. "Jubie Day?"

"Yeah!" Espantos jumped with glee. "It's a holiday where my kind celebrates their fallen kin and we do a bunch of cool stuff to celebrate our species as a whole. We do stuff like who can dig the deepest hole in a given time, a knitting contest, finding the bone in a mud pile, sing Jubie carols, and eat a lot! That's why I need this thing."

"You're...going to eat that large slab of metal?" the woman asked him with a hint of doubt.

"No Hazelnut. I'm going to use it to store all my meats. I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been doing the daily news for a while. That's because I've been preparing for Jubie Day. I've already borrowed these metal thingies so that I can store my bug piles, my meat piles, and my homemade sauces. Though, some of the worker people here always seem to chase me after I ask their permission to borrow the doors. I think it's because they're impatient and really want to taste my food. Well they can't because they're not ready yet!"

Hazel really wanted to roll her eyes. She did find Espantos funny most of the time, but after hearing that new piece of information, she felt even more annoyed. It's like everyone in the park had their own thing to celebrate. On top of the Christmas holiday, with all the staff milling about to prepare the park for the season AND the party that was occurring tomorrow, it was pretty hectic. And right now, Hazel was getting really tired of these holidays.

"That's...nice Espantos. Um...good luck with your holiday stuff. I'm going to go and… Take a nap," Hazel told him politely while hiding her feelings of disgust.

"Okay! Have fun sleeping! Expect a lot of food tomorrow!" the Miocene denizen saluted. As he darted off towards his enclosure, he was soon followed by a small group of enraged keepers that passed by the by-standing young employee. A few of them had tranquilizer guns slung over their shoulders. No doubt they were the ones who witnessed Espantos rip that car door off.

She could then hear the Terror Bird sing The Twelve Days of Christmas, albeit faintly. However, listening in carefully, she found that the Miocene predator had botched up the lyrics.

 **On the First day of Jubie Day my first friend sent to me**

 **a Raptor in a Tall Tree.**

 **On the Second day of Jubie Day my first friend sent to me**

 **Two Iguanodons**

 **and a Raptor in a Tall Tree...**

Hazel merely shrugged her shoulders and continued on walking. Espantos and his antics always confounded the minds of everyone here. Hopefully, she could get some peace and quiet soon.

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Sabertooth Cat Climb…

Continuing on her walk, Hazel managed to pass by the Sabertooth enclosure. She didn't see any employees, or any wandering Residents, as they may have done their duties with the ferocious felines earlier, or maybe they were just getting to them. Either way, there was no one around to bug her regarding the holidays. Though she did see some wreaths and tinsels hanging on some pieces of equipment and portions of the park as she walked.

Speaking of no one around, she hadn't seen any members of Aladar and Neera's herd for the past few days. She hadn't noticed it before because she would normally just go to the Herd Grounds to check on them. However, those not wandering around the park for a while were not normal.

While she thought about what they were up to, a silky, yet ferocious purr called out to her.

"Well if it isn't the Little Cub herself," said the voice, which was identified as female.

Hazel stopped in her tracks and turned to the source of the sound. Standing on the other side of the wooden fence was a female _Smilodon_. Her eyes peering through the bars like some hunter watching their prey. That didn't unnerve the human though. She was quite used to that kind of treatment. Especially from the creature that she would occasionally call "Grumpy Cat".

"Hi Sabrina."

"Looks like something's been nipping at you from the behind. Normally you'd be in a happier mood," the adult female slyly remarked.

Hazel scoffed. Of course, being a hunter, Sabrina and her kind could sense the status of their prey for any sign of weakness. While it was surprising for the South American ancient mammal to deduce her feelings, she wasn't in the mood to talk about it.

"I don't know what you're talking about Sabrina," she lied. "I'm fine."

"Really?" the feline toyed with her. "Normally when someone says something like that and they're not looking in peak form, they would get themselves into a sticky situation. And I believe there was one recently that did happen when you were like that."

The remark that Sabrina made was like a jab to her stomach. Of course Hazel remembered that. Sabrina may have not been there, but she must have heard about it from one of the other herd members, or the gossip that usually circulates around the park. Hazel never forgot the time when she revealed to Aladar and Neera's herd that she knew of the destruction of the Nesting Grounds. Everyone was turned against her, and her punishment came in the form of a broken rib cage, almost drowning in the lake, and getting her brain fried. Connections with the herd have recovered, as they are happily adjusting to their new home, but that memory would stick with her for the rest of her life.

"Seriously Sabrina. I'm fine. I'm just tired," the girl lied again.

"Whatever you say, Little Cub."

It was at that point that something caught Hazel's eye. Looking deeper into the enclosure that looked more like a jungle with climbing logs and a playground littered with toys rather than a normal big cat enclosure, she noticed at least four large piles of meat over to the right. All sorts of stripped carcasses of farm animals littered that area. It was unusual because the sabers here would normally get at least one carcass for the Sabers per day. Seeing this much meat was definitely not normal.

And gorging on those piles of meat were the other Sabers in the compound. Sabrina's mate Cesar was gobbling on the one at the very left, while Twins Tai and Sable had their own piles next to him.

"What the heck? What's with all that meat? Usually you guys don't get that much per meal."

"Oh, it seems we neglected to tell you. Back in our time, we Sabers celebrated a season called Hunter's Bounty. In our time, hordes of creatures would come into our little part of the world for their annual migrations. The plains Cesar and I once lived in were ripe with food for them to gorge on. However, it was also a plus for our kind because of the amount of prey we were getting per day. Because of the ample amount of food, we decided to call it Hunter's Bounty. In other parts of the year, the amount of food available ranges, including the season we call the Dead Time, which is a point in the year where all the herds have gone and we must survive on whatever has remained. But for us, Hunter's Bounty is a feast."

"Okay…" Hazel nodded, now understanding what this holiday was about. However, there was still one thing that was bothering her. "So this Hunter's Bounty is an annual thing right? How did you and Cesar manage to celebrate it in prior years when you were here? I mean, none of us knew what this holiday was until today."

Sabrina chuckled lightly at that. "Oh Little Cub, we may be intimidating predators to most creatures, but we can be crafty. Before you came here, Cesar and I would hide our food from anybody that comes our way, and would do so for several days. They would think we have eaten them quickly and give us another. You see, we managed to snag some of those cloth things you humans called tarps when they were piled in front of our living space. We would use them to cover our food when we bury them. In the past, my kind would use large leaves to do that. But since this is an entirely different time, we had to be creative. Finally, when Hunter's Bounty comes around, we would feast on them, but only at night. We did it during the day one time and we could hear Bob reprimanding his underlings a mile away, so we never did that again."

"And now that everyone can understand you," the girl deduced. "I'm guessing you told them of this holiday and they brought you all this food?"

The _Smilodon_ nodded in satisfaction. "Indeed, young one. You catch on pretty quickly."

"Miss Sabrina!" cried young Sable who was finished eating his fill and was now lying on the ground facing the communicating duo. "I think you'd better get over here and eat your food. Looks like my brother is eyeing it because your meat is dark. And we all know he likes dark meat."

The Sabertooth before Hazel groaned and rolled her eyes. "Well, I'd better stop a certain cub from stealing my food. Otherwise he's going to learn how we hunt...the hard way," she chided, though to anyone else's ears, it sounded a bit like a threat.

"Alright. Enjoy your food Grumpy Cat," Hazel saluted and started to leave.

Said predator let out an irritated roar. "Don't call me that!"

She merely tuned that out. She was used to Sabrina ordering her to not call her that pointless nickname. Hazel found it fun though, and never ceased on using that name. It was kind of fun to watch the _Smilodon_ react to her like that.

However, that moment of joy faded when she noticed the wreath decorated on the back trunk of a jeep. Her thoughts immediately returned to the talk she had with her mother. Hazel intended to return to her room so that she could escape the holiday spirit for the day.

But this day had other plans for the young explorer.

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Mammoth Mount…en route to the Herd Grounds

While she was heading out back to the Barracks, Hazel had a quick change of thought. She was supposed to help her friends put up the other decorations today. However, because she wanted to have some peace and quiet for now, she might as well let them know.

Rather than go in the direction of the Vet's Surgery then onwards towards where the sauropods resided, the girl instead made her way in the direction of Mammoth Mount, because passed that was where Aladar and Neera's herd lived.

On her way there, Hazel was once again met with a surprise. Normally, the elephants would be grazing on the savannah, chatting away on whatever matters they always talk about, or whatever else elephants do. This time, she was shocked to hear them vocalizing.

Curiosity becoming increasingly unabated, the Asian made her way towards the pachyderms that were milling about at the top of one of the hills. A quick jog up the terrain made her come face to face with Mujaji's Herd...and in the mix were a few of the Park's keepers. The employees were singing Christmas carols. That observation in mind, Hazel tried to determine whether these guys were teaching them the Christmas carols or not. Because they were in Africa, these elephants shouldn't know about Christmas right?

Well, Hazel soon found out the answer when two mega-sized mammals came towards her on her left.

" _Salamu_ Hazel!" A sweet, yet strong voice trumpeted in the air.

Quickly turning around, she was met by the enormous forms of the elephant matriarch Mujaji and Martha the Mammoth. Schooling her features, she shot them a quick smile and a wave.

" _Salamu_ Martha and Mujaji," she returned the greeting with a formal nod. It was a good thing Martha taught her some terms the elephants used. Thanks to her, she was closer to them in a more intimate level. "Looks like the Christmas spirit is really in full swing. I could practically hear you from miles away."

"Oh yes. Humans aren't the only ones who celebrate this holiday. The tradition has spread on to this part of the world as well," Mujaji rumbled with laughter. Though the human could not understand the modern-day pachyderm, she got the gist of it through her cheerful trumpet.

"Did you know these songs by heart?" Hazel inquired. "Or did these guys teach you?"

In response to her question, the African mammal turned to the mammoth and shared her answer in rumbles and groans. Martha nodded as she took in all that information. Once she was done, the Ice Age mammal told Hazel her matriarch's answer.

"Mujaji says that most of these songs they knew of from long ago. However, some of them were new to them. In other words, with the introduction of more songs in this time, they quickly pick up on them."

"I see. So...I'm guessing singing isn't the only thing you girls do on this holiday?" the woman added. Hearing that African elephants, and Martha due to her inclusion in the herd, celebrated this human tradition, Hazel was eager to know how they would celebrate this holiday. Africa wasn't a place to have snow, unless one had the guts to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, there were no Christmas trees, and the materials to make presents were very scarce. In addition, not many people in Africa celebrate that holiday. The mysteries of the animal kingdom just keep getting bigger by the day…

Once again, Mujaji spoke to Martha, who then repeated the elephant's response.

"No, we do much more than singing. We like to play in the mud, help decorate the trees with the keepers here, and even play with them. Basically, we do most of the things you humans do in this holiday."

"I see…" Hazel pondered more on that response. "How did you know about this holiday?"

Like before, the pachyderms conversed with each other. This conversation took a bit longer, but eventually, hazel got her response.

"It's a long story, and Mujaji just wants you to know the short version. They basically picked it up from humans long ago. At one time, the ancestors lived in other parts of Africa. When they saw the humans celebrate this holiday, they were curious at first. But then, as they observed some more, they found out the reasons for this holiday, and thus they quickly picked up on the tradition. Now we celebrate it, for we appreciate its meaning and is the best way to bring us all together," the mammoth presented to the human.

"Interesting…" was the girl's reply. She then stared intently into Martha's eyes, now thinking of her next question. "And what about you Martha? Forgive me for asking, but did you and your kind have any special holidays you celebrate?"

Martha shook her head in regret. "No Hazel. My kind and I had no such holidays to celebrate."

Through her strong vibrato, Hazel could sense the sorrow coming from the mammoth. She fell silent as the mammoth recalled the days when she was living in the distant past.

"We were living in a time when food was scarce and the fear of being hunted was always in the air. Our grass plains were disappearing, only to be replaced by forests. Our numbers dwindled. Death was around us. But through those odds, we continued to survive. We lived on, regardless of the cruel world we lived in."

Hazel frowned at that. She knew that mammoths living near the end of the Ice Age had it rough with the dwindling food supply and overhunting by humans. Hearing that Martha and her kind celebrated no such holiday wasn't that much of a surprise. However, it was still upsetting to hear that.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that question."

Martha shook her trunk and waved it dismissively. "All is forgiven Hazel. You had a right to know."

Just then, the other female elephants trumpeted in the distance. Peering over at them, the pachyderms seemed to be retreating towards the east. The park keepers kept close to the large mammals, albeit conversing on the way and wondering about what they were about to do.

"Now where are they going?" the young explorer asked offhandedly.

"Well, seems like the girls are ready for a mud bath. I wouldn't be surprised if they started making 'mud men'," the immense Ice Age denizen chuckled.

Hazel quickly got the gist of that too. Since Africa really wasn't an ideal place for snow, the animals that celebrated Christmas had to adjust with whatever their environment provided. No snow meant they had to adapt. In this case, when Martha said "mud men", she really meant the brown, stinky, messy, and debris ridden version of the snowmen Hazel was more familiar with.

"Well we'd best be off," Martha told her. Mujaji started to walk on ahead and trumpeted for her fellow herd mates. "We don't want to miss out on the fun."

"Have fun you two," she smirked at them before going her separate way as well. If she bothered to look back, she would have seen the mega-fauna turn around to join her adopted herd.

Once she was far enough away from them, the girl groaned loudly and rubbed her temples with her fingers. She was growing ever so frustrated with the amount of holiday cheer going on in this place. Hearing about these traditions was reminding her of her fight with her mother earlier today. The walk she was taking was supposed to get her mind off of it. Instead, she was viewing so many variations of the Christmas holiday everywhere she went.

Not wanting to spoil her day even more, she quickly brushed those thoughts aside. Deep down, she hoped that spending time with her friends in the Herd Grounds would cheer her up.

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Valley Plains...

The trek took a very long time, but Hazel finally made it to the Valley Plains, or more specifically, the Herd Grounds within the plains. The familiar feel of the long grass grazing her legs and the smell of sun in the air were all the trademarks of the home her friends made not too long ago. Even the crystalline lake that stood out not too far out shimmered like a blue mirror under the sun. Of course, the valley they were living in was the Nesting Grounds from the distant past. It's just that this was the 21st century and the living space is shared with countless other species.

Everywhere she walked, dinosaurs would be milling about on their daily business. Normally, they would be eating at this time, but something was off. Instead of eating, drinking, sleeping, or anything else they do on their spare time, the herd members were rushing all around the place.

"Odd...wonder what the rush is about?"

Taking note on why they were hastily moving about, Hazel noticed a couple things that stood out. On some parts of the grounds, she noticed large leaves some members would take out from the forest. The Asian wasn't much of a botanist, but those leaves were some kind of fern or palm. Either way, they were large enough to act like dinner plates.

She also noticed that the herd members had smaller leaves in their mouths that acted like pouches for something. One by one, they piled the wrapped condiments onto the other large leaves. Those pouches were of variable sizes; some were small, like from what the _Microceratus_ would carry, others were medium-sized like bowling balls, and the rest were as big as car tires.

Another thing she noted was the odd scent that she caught in the air. Normally, the valley would smell just like any other valley; sun, earth, and nothing more. But this time, she picked up something completely new. Taking another whiff, she confirmed it to be sweet with a hint of spice. To her, it smelled a bit like old spice and roses mixed together. It was odd because she couldn't even smell it back at the main portion of the park, most likely because all the scents from that part of the park were in her way. Now that she was in the open, she couldn't shake off that sickly sweet smell.

The final thing on her observation list was the fact that a number of keepers were helping in the process. Whether it was bringing in leaf pouches of their own, helping some herd members bring the pouches in, or helping to lug the leaf plates over one part of the lake shore where the others were placed, they were contributing their energy to whatever this event was.

It was also surprising to find Nero helping out in this sort of event. Because the year wasn't over, the green warrior was still subject to the punishment that was given to him after he caused the near-destruction of Prehistoric Park along with endangering everyone in it. He was approaching the north shore, where the other leaf piles were, with the normal two-wheeled wooden cart he would tug along to carry heavy equipment. Good thing this wasn't the cart made for carrying fecal matter, otherwise that would be really gross. As usual, he was being directed towards that part of the shore, only this time, the cart was filled to the brim with hordes of other leaf piles the other herd members made. She watched as the dinosaur positioned himself on an empty portion of the shore, allowed a man with brown hair but with a streak of green dye on his bangs work on the door in the back, and use the open slot as a ramp to allow the pouches to fall gently on the ground.

Hazel kept on moving through the area. Now she really wanted to find some answers. It would seem that the other employees were told of this event, judging by how they were contributing to the work. But why wasn't she told of this? Desperate on wanting to know, she continued to search for her friends. And it was a good thing she didn't have to look very far.

"Hey Hazel!" Aladar called from the distance.

She waved back at him and rushed over to where they were. All of the friends she made on their migration last year were gathered on the right side of the Grounds. It would seem they finished decorating the tree not too long ago if they were all here. Like the other individuals in the Valley, they had their own large leaf to fill with the pouches they were apparently gathering from the forest. In fact, coming out now with pouches of their own were the children, Suri, Plio, and Aya. Even Baylene, Eema, and Url had their own pouches, all of which were the size of the jeep tires in the park.

What was even more surprising was the fact that Nigel was in on the action. He too was coming out of the forest, this time with two leaf bags of his own on each hand.

"Nigel?" the girl's mouth fell agape at the sight of her mentor in on the event.

"Oh! Hello Hazel!" he greeted before dropping the bags off at the large leaf.

"What are you doing? I thought you were looking over the new applicants for next year," she inquired.

"Well...I'm helping to gather berries from the forest," he told her cheerfully.

"Berries? For what?"

"Wait, you don't know?" Aladar stared at her with wide eyes.

"Know what?"

Neera, who had just finished organizing the pouches on their leaf pile, approached her mate to join in on the conversation. "Wait, you don't know about Gotam's Day?"

Hazel's response was in the form of a frown.

Both _Iguanodons_ and senior adventurer eyed each other for a second. They gestured with either their hands or their head to go on ahead and tell her. Eventually, it was Nigel who lost out as he silently told Aladar and Neera they would be better at explaining. The silent conversation ended with the man wearing a light green polo shirt and his favorite brown vest leaving to put his berries into the large leaf.

The blue-green dinosaur and his mate slowly approached her until they were mere inches from the hairless ape. "Tomorrow is Gotam's Day. It's a day that the herd celebrates at this time of year. Didn't Zini tell you?"

Hazel's only response was a shake of her head. No one told her about this holiday, or the fact that the Herd here even had holidays. She was pretty much left in the dark.

Despondent at the lack of knowledge the girl was neglected, Aladar looked over at the yellow lemur that was placing his leaf pouch onto the large leaf. "Zini! You didn't tell Hazel!?"

Said lemur froze and turned around slowly. The face he gave his adopted nephew was that of serious apprehension. His lip quivered uncontrollably and he looked from side to side as if he were some convict trying to find a way out.

"Uh...I didn't?" he lied. "I thought I did."

"Well apparently you didn't. You managed to tell everyone about Gotam's Day, but you forgot to tell Hazel?"

"Oops!" Zini shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands in an apologetic manner. "Sorry! I uh...I guess she was the one that got away. I'm uh...going to go help find more berries."

The lemon-colored primate zipped past Url and Talin back into the woods, only to be followed by his mate Aya. The white lemur, not wanting her boyfriend to die of embarrassment or shame, quickly bound after him.

"Zini! Wait!" Aya called to him before disappearing into the underbrush.

"Well...okay," Hazel stared at the woods for a few more seconds before focusing her attention back at the alphas. The others retreating into the woods to get more berries provided them with some much needed privacy.

"I guess it would make sense he would forget," Aladar glanced at her apologetically. "The whole clan is going nuts with their celebration coming up."

The human and the female alpha eyed the dinosaur raised by small primates curiously.

"It's something that the clan celebrates every year called Maris Day," he told his mate and human friend. "It similar to our holiday, except it's on the founding of their island. Tomorrow is the day when their island was first found. You see, Marius, the first leader of the lemur clan, led his family to the island to escape the troubles of the mainland. They encountered many troubles along the way, but they overcame them all together. The lemurs celebrate by sharing certain fruits with each other to symbolize them being together as a family. Now most of the lemurs here aren't from that same island, but they accepted it regardless, at least that's what I heard."

"Okay… so, what fruit are you talking about?" Hazel asked, feeling the frustration over the similarities with Christmas coming up again. Honestly, how many holidays did happen around this time? She felt like letting her frustration out with a scream, but only managed to open her mouth for a split second for a quiet breath. She controlled her emotions, not wanting to make herself appear immature in front of them.

"It's a fruit that's found in the forests here. They're about the size of a small rock and if you open them up, they look pretty red. And if you eat them, they taste sour and sweet at the same time."

The girl nodded knowingly. She knew what he was talking about. Around Prehistoric Park, there were some fruits that grew in the wild. But the main one that the employees here discovered was the star ruby grapefruit. It was considered rare to find fruits growing in the wild without any human interference; most fruits would not last long if they were not cared for properly with human hands. The fact that these fruits were discovered without human agriculture was a true rarity.

Hazel tasted some over the years. They tasted strong at first, but she learned to get used to the flavor. In the past, the chefs here always took at least a couple every once in a while, to serve to everyone else here. Because they were grown wild, no one wanted to interfere with nature's bounty. Taking all of the fruits could mean consequences for the plants or there would be no way for the fruits to populate.

Now the park has a small greenhouse where some rare fruits were grown. The other fruits that they could find elsewhere in plentiful amounts were available through shipments from other markets. Right now, the employees that were also botanists were attempting to grow their own crops, including the star ruby grapefruit. Other rare fruits that were found globally included rambutans, mangoes, dragon fruits, rose apple trees, star fruits, and even strawberry guavas. There were currently plans to create separate greenhouses outside the park borders near the coast so they could have more room to grow more crops, even some herbs. It was a dream they were slowly working towards.

"How do they know when this celebration is?" Neera asked her mate.

Aladar shrugged. "I'm not sure. I stopped asking after a few years because they just know when the day is. Kind of like how we know when Gotam's Day is; we just feel it. And because their celebration is similar to this one, we decided to combine them for today."

The fuschia _Iguanodon_ chuckled and nudged her mate on the snout. "You mean how I know when Gotam's Day is. I was the one that informed you about it."

"Yes yes, when you told me," he returned the gesture.

"Huh…so what is this Gotam's Day?" asked Hazel.

"Gotam's Day is the day when the Nesting Grounds was founded," Neera began to explain in her familiar sweet voice. "As you already know, Old Gotama was the one who found this place."

"And is the skeleton over at that grove," the girl remarked, using one of her thumbs to point to the very back of the park with the mountain range that contained Old Gotama's resting place.

"Right. But thanks to Zini for not telling you, there was more to how this place was found. You see, this valley wasn't always the paradise that we know. Not long after Old Gotama and his herd first arrived here, hordes of predators came rushing into the valley. Their hatred and bloodlust infested this place, leaving the paradise as a bloodied wasteland. The herd fled the place, not wanting to die at the jaws of the monsters that beset the valley," Aladar told her with such sincerity.

It was then Neera picked up where her mate left off. "Old Gotama and his herd were forced to take sanctuary in the wastelands not far from the valley. You know of that place. We crossed it before we took shelter in that one cave. Spirits were broken, sorrow was in the air, and the hope for a peaceful life was slipping away. Everyone was at the verge of giving up, but not Old Gotama. He banded his followers together, and inspired them to follow him back to the valley. He told them that if nothing was done about these predators, then their future was lost. If they cannot drive their enemies out, then no one can."

"So he and the herd banded together and drove the predators out?" Hazel guessed, hiding her predictability on the situation.

"Yup. And this day is marked by the blooming of the Night Flowers, because they bloomed on the very night the predators were driven out," he recited with pride.

"Night Flowers?" she cocked an eyebrow at him.

Both alphas nodded, with Aladar being the one to speak up first. "Yeah. I'm not sure if you've noticed in the past few years you've been here, but they bloom around this time. When they open up at night, they glow really brightly and would have bits of water on them. I've only seen them once, but they're really beautiful to watch."

Thinking back for a moment, Hazel did remember some times in the past when she did hear about something glowing at night. Around this time of the year, every staff member in Prehistoric Park had noticed some glowing dots swaying in the breeze at night in the valley. Their first guess was fireflies, which were pretty common in this time of year. Even though it was December, it was considered summer down in the Southern Hemisphere. No one really bothered to investigate because everyone would have been tired from the day to really check it out. Now that she heard about the Night Flowers, her theories on the glowing were changed.

"Does this smell in the air have to do with these Night Flowers?" she inquired next.

"Yup," Neera smirked and sniffed at the air. She closed her eyes and sighed as she enjoyed the scent of the native flowers. "That smell you're picking up is the clear indication that they're going to bloom pretty soon."

"It's a truly wondrous time of the year," the female alpha mentioned. "Everyone is welcome. No matter what species you are, no matter where you're from, all are a part of a big family. Even the lemurs are in on it too because they feel the same way. It's like that Christmas holiday you've been telling us about."

It was at that moment that something in Hazel snapped. Hearing that this holiday was so much similar to Christmas, along with the other holidays the Residents were celebrating made the girl just lose it. She gripped her fists and let out a scream of frustration, thus alerting everyone in the immediate area.

"I can't believe this!" Hazel screamed, her frustration making her friends jump in surprise. Catching herself, Hazel immediately gained a sheepish look. "S-Sorry guys, I… got to go!"

The frustrated girl ran off in order to straighten out her emotional outburst. As the alphas watched their human friend rush off, they failed to notice a certain purple pterosaur fly after her. Flia frowned with concern when she watched Hazel explode with rage, having only arrived mere seconds ago to witness the whole thing. All thoughts of contributing to the festivities faded, only to be replaced with empathy for an unhappy human.

 _ **Ooh…likes like we've got a bit of background on some of the Residents here. Yeah it turns out Prehistoric Park's Residents do have some holidays to celebrate.**_

 _ **Remember the name Marius? Yeah that's the same lemur mentioned in the Legend of the White Terror in Night of the White Terror. The holiday revolves around the lemurs founding Lemur Island basically.**_

 _ **And Espantos' holiday and song? That's from last year**_ __ _ **.**_


	3. Holiday Faith Rekindled

"I'm fine… I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine," Hazel murmured to herself as she walked away from the herd's territory. She didn't think that the Herd's "Gotam's Day" would get to her so bad, but here she was practically with her tail between her legs running away. "Just… take a breath."

"Hazel, are you alright?"

Turning to the voice, Hazel saw Flia coming in for a landing next to her. The human's face became irritated at her appearance. "Oh yeah, I'm just gumdrops and roses here," she said sarcastically.

"Wait, what?" Flia became puzzled at the new words.

"Ugh, nevermind. What do you want?" she demanded.

The _Pteranodon_ staggered back at the sudden hostility, but quickly righted herself. "Hazel. You're not being yourself. What's causing you to act like this? This morning, you were jubilant about the festivities that we were preparing for, and now you're sour about it. It's not like you to exert your anger like that, especially around our friends. Did something happen?"

"Happen?" the Asian crazily laughed. A gleam of bitter amusement glinted in her eyes like a predator that was hunting for its prey. "Happen!? Oh ho ho! A LOT of things are going on right now. YOU guys are 'preppy and happy' about the coming days, completely oblivious to the problems around you. Well, if you must know, NOT everybody is happy about the holidays!"

"You're going on about peace, love, joy, merriment, togetherness," she counted down with irritation. "All of that is REALLY getting on my nerves!"

"It's the holiday spirit," Flia pointed out. "I don't know what everyone else is doing, but it sounds like they have their own way of celebrating this time. Whatever they are, I along with everyone else here respect that."

"Yeah, well it's making me sick!" Hazel spat.

The flyer sighed, staring into the girl's eyes with empathy. She could feel the anger and frustration that surrounded her and it was one that sent boiling pins of grief into her heart. "Did…did this have anything to do with the talk you had with your mother?"

Hazel gawked at the scout she considered her best friend. How did she know about that? Last she recalled she was alone in her room. No other employee was nearby for they were out and about in the park. Unless…

"You were EAVESDROPPING!?"

"So what if I was? I was concerned for you," she stood her ground despite the fact that the human was metaphorically backing her into a corner. "You practically stormed off from us when Marcus told you your mother tried to speak with you."

Hazel sputtered in her speech. Her attempts at coming up with a reply failed her as her mind was still clouded in anger. In a fit of rage, she screamed in frustration before turning her back on the flyer.

"I heard everything," the crested one started. "I know it wasn't my place to-."

The woman spun around, a dagger-like gaze met the now intimidated scout. "Heck no it wasn't! If you heard everything, then you know how stupid she was trying to talk to me again."

"Hazel, how dare you say that about her!" Flia shouted in defense of her mother.

Hazel gawked. Her best friend was defending that woman? After everything she did over the years? Her heart was now torn between betrayed and angry. Flia was one of the most trusted friends that she could ever count on, and yet she was speaking in defense of the mother who left her? The only thought she had in her mind now was to smack her friend on the beak, but even that would not solve anything.

"I've got every right to call her what I want, Flia," she spoke venomously, tears now forming in her eyes as she recalled every memory she had when her mother was not there. "She abandoned me and my sister! Where was she when I fell down and scraped my knee? Where was she when I celebrated my 16th birthday? Where was she when I got my black belt in karate? Where WAS she when I graduated from high school!? WHERE was she when my grandparents died!?"

"She had her reasons," Flia spoke quickly, despite not knowing what any of those events were.

The young recruit scoffed. "Yeah, well they're dumb reasons!"

"Hazel, she contacted you because she was asking for your forgiveness. If she did not love you at all, she would have given up on her attempts to talk to you in the first place. Can't you see that?"

Hazel narrowed her eyes, the anger inside her escalated. "If you're here to tell me that I should just forgive her, then you thought wrong. I'm NEVER forgiving her after what she did. She gave me the cold shoulder for over ten years, Flia. So I'm only returning the favor."

Flia sighed, their argument now reaching an impasse. "You're acting childish."

"Oh, I'll stop," she chuckled crazily. Her insides felt like they were about to burst from all the emotion she was undergoing. "As soon as that bitch woman gets it into her head that I don't want anything to do with her anymore!"

The flyer softly looked upon the human she called her friend. The tears that welled up in her eyes now fell in fast streams. One glance at her and she saw the anger and the grief of her rift in her family pierce her soul. "Hazel, it would seem that you are losing yourself over this rift you have with your mother. Was it not you that said that this 'Christmas' was about being with loved ones? A time where everyone is brought together as a family? Haven't you forgotten what you just taught us?"

Something inside Hazel stopped her heart. Her world felt like it was spinning on itself. She did say all that before. Christmas was a time when families come together and spend time with each other. Love and joy perforated through the holiday, showing how happy the time was. It was no time to be fighting. Yet, how could she forgive her mother after all the hurt she went through?

Guilt stabbed her heart like a knife. Just this morning, she was teaching her friends all about the holiday. Now, she was acting the opposite of what she told them. Her mind became torn between anger over her mother and sadness over how she was acting.

Hazel sniffled, using a free arm to wipe the water from her face. "I…you…but she…"

"It doesn't matter what your mother did," Flia interpreted her message. The human fell silent as she looked upon her. "She is still family. And families always stick together. What is going to happen if something bad happens to anyone here? What if we suddenly disappear? You won't have any of us to turn to. So what happens when your friends are no longer there for you? The only ones you can turn to are your family, and right now, you are pushing that away with this grudge. Was it not you that taught Terrence and Matilda what it meant to be a family? You asked Plio to tell them that, and it was you who brought them together again."

The girl inhaled sharply. She did say that before. Hazel remembered that time when Terrence and Matilda were put into one enclosure again to try to get them to get along, the two things that kept them from tearing each other apart were the wooden fence boundary in their enclosure and the Perimeter Collars they wore. They argued over trivial things that seemed unnecessary in the eyes of others. When Hazel brought her friends around the park on a tour, she brought them before the rexes so that she could show how friendly they could be…for the most part. Instead, they found them feuding again. Hazel asked the lemur matriarch Plio to explain what it meant to be in a family, and somehow, that message struck them. It took the recent breakout in the park months ago to bring them back together.

"No matter what happened in the past," Flia continued. "She is still your mother. From what you told us before, she and your sister are the only ones in your family that you have ties with. Don't break your bonds with them. If there is one thing that no one should ever be if they die, it's dying alone. Don't do this to yourself."

Hazel turned away, the tears falling down her face again. Her breathing became heavy from the crying that fought to escape from her throat. Even though she blinked multiple times, she failed to stop herself from crying.

"I…I need to be alone," she took off down the hill. Hazel kept running, resisting the urge to turn around. But had she done so, she would have seen Flia turn away in sadness; her eyes filling with tears from the sadness that she bottled up inside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hazel wandered away from the Valley Plains. Her mind became a raging tempest of emotions as she thought about the recent argument she had with Flia. Her heart felt like a raptor claw pierced it, and her stomach felt heavier than ever. Her mind was so filled with grief and anger that she felt her head pounding again.

As she walked, she heard the faint sounds of music coming from the main hub of the park. No doubt the employees decided to play some Christmas music to add to the festive atmosphere. Normally, she welcomed the songs and would sing along. Now, they were a nuisance that only made her grief worse. And it did not help that the song that played now was Amy Grant's I'll be Home for Christmas.

On and on she walked. The hills quickly turned into flat ground. The sights of buildings, the passing of other employees, and not even the enclosures of the Residents she passed by brought her respite. Her legs started to ache from the brisk walk she made. She cried as she rushed through that part of the park; her face and eyes ached from the sobs she made. There was too much holiday cheer in the air that it was making her sick. The activities that everyone was doing made her want to gag. How could she go along with any of this cheer if she did not feel the same way? No, all she wanted now was the quietness of her room, where she could lock herself away from all the holiday cheer.

"Stupid Flia. Stupid decorations. Stupid music. Stupid holiday! Why is it that this time is making me upset? A while ago I was doing just fine...until SHE called. God I hate her!" Hazel ranted, putting in added emphasis at the end to describe the woman she hated.

As she muttered about how much she hated her mother, she found herself stopped by one of the decorations the employees left behind. It was a small elf made in the guise of a garden gnome. The statuette was small, only about two feet high, and wore a red coat and pants with a white trim. The hat it wore was pointed and had a white puff at the end; typical for a Santa elf.

The figure disgusted Hazel. The smug grin, the beady eyes, the glassy texture, she couldn't take it! With one quick movement, she kicked the figure away. The poor statue posed no defense when it crashed against one of the nearby jeeps as it shattered into a million pieces upon impact. The hood of the jeep buckled under the weight, creating a huge dent that would take a long time to fix.

Despite the new piece of damage she made, Hazel ignored it. She walked on, not caring about who would arrive to check on the disturbance.

"Stupid, stupid, STUPID!" she screamed out of frustration. "What I would give to just WRING her neck!"

The sound of a deep, gravelly laugh erupted nearby. Hazel stopped in her tracks, her heart pounding madly at that familiar cackle. When she observed her surroundings, she found that she was in a place that she never thought she would wander to accidentally. The direction of the _Triceratops_ enclosure that was nearby, the placement of the buildings, the whirring of the security generator nearby that ran on maximum power, it was a place that Hazel wished she was not in. And it was for one reason only.

She slowly turned her head to the sound of heavy footsteps. A gasp escaped her throat when a menacing red figure made itself known behind a large wooden fence. Glaring down at her, with his leering, hungry eyes and ominous horns that were ready to attack anything, was Diablo.

"Wring someone's neck to kill them?" he rumbled with laughter. "Now that is a sight I would like to see. Though, it's very unbecoming of you."

Hazel rolled her eyes, schooling her features to hide her startled reaction. "Oh for God's sake, I don't have time to deal with you Diablo. I'm in no mood to have a verbal fight."

The horned carnivore huffed, raising his head up to make himself look prouder. "I wasn't looking for one. But I couldn't help but overhear you having a fit. A temper coming from one such as you is amusing."

"Let me guess, all the festivities are bothering you? I thought you would be into something like this," he took a gander at why she was acting sour.

Her silence indicated confirmation to his inference.

"Your silence confirms my suspicion. Though it would seem there is more to it. Tell me, what is troubling you?"

"None of your business you overgrown demon lizard," she sneered.

Diablo half scoffed and half groaned. "Humph, had to give it a try. I thought I might have found solace from this disgusting merriment by talking to another who equally abhorred this holiday," he said with a sharp snort. "It's a shame...I used to partake in something like this."

The anger on Hazel's face softened. The fact that someone as monstrous as Diablo participated in a joyous holiday was like something out of a fantasy. She never thought he was into holiday cheer. Then again, the _Carnotaurus_ was not always the intimidating monster that everyone in the park made him out to be. Hazel recalled him mentioning his life was perfect until the events that happened recently; the impact of the first Fireball, the death of his mate, his defeat in the canyon that led to his eventual rescue, and his failed attempt at enacting his revenge weeks ago during the second breakout.

Curiosity overtook her as Hazel awaited the carnivore's explanation.

"You had a holiday?" she asked him.

Diablo made a low growl that was followed by a hiss. Hazel saw him shake his head, no doubt trying to brush off the painful memories of the past. "Yes. Before all of...this...happened. I had a happy life. My mate and I survived as best we could in the changing land, one that was always trying to kill us. But we made do of it. We had a day where we would honor our fallen brethren who gave their lives in their constant fight to survive, along with honoring the beings above who made us who we were. We celebrated it annually around this time."

The Asian chided mentally. _"Sounds like a few individuals here that had the same thing..."_

"We did so by hunting enough prey so we could have a feast," he continued. "We called it the Feast of Tornac, in honor of our noble ancestor that promoted such a day. Then, come nightfall, my mate and I would roar triumphantly to the sky, until our voices gave out. It was to proclaim our praise for those above who gave us the strength to fight and kill. The times we celebrated were harsh times, but being together was enough."

The Carnotaur met the girl with a vehement gaze. The sight of which made her want to take a few steps back out of fear he would try to break out again. "And now, I can no longer celebrate that again. Not the way I used to."

Hazel sadly sighed. She could feel Diablo's sorrow from his deep, threatening voice, no matter how much he tried to make himself appear intimidating in front of her. He had a reason to hate the holiday cheer. He was displaced from his time; he had no way of communicating with the other employees about it without bypassing their fears of him, and most of all, no mate to celebrate it with. She never thought she would feel pity for the large carnivore again.

"If you must know," she started, feeling open to talk about her troubles. "I had a fight with my mother. I lost count with how many times we fought a long time ago. She rarely spoke to me and my sister after my dad died, and the same with the death of my grandparents. She was always off working, trying to support me and my sister, but she was never around when we needed her. It wasn't long before I considered her a deadbeat mom for abandoning us. Several times she tried to talk to me again, but I wouldn't have it. Now she did it again...this time to invite me to be with her for the holidays. I shunned her...again."

Diablo scoffed which to Hazel, sounded more like a gag. His gaze narrowed as he leaned closer, until he stopped mere inches from the wooden fence due to the barrier that was erected. "So you shun her for cutting her ties from you only temporarily? Haven't you considered how that would have affected you in the future? Did you expect that you would have felt the scorn you were giving yourself now? What your mother did for you and your kin-sister was out of the goodness of her heart. You probably don't know, but she made countless sacrifices for her children. Those sacrifices she made were out of love. She cared for you so much that she traveled great distances just so she could look out for you. How could you not see that? She was fighting tooth, nail, arm, and leg, whatever you humans have! All of it was for you."

Hazel gawked at Diablo, utterly stunned by the words he just spoke. She never really thought about what her mom was doing; only what her actions did to her and her sister. How could she overlook that? The times she never visited, when she wasn't available to talk to them, it was all because she was doing her best so her children could have a better life. She did love them both...

"Listen here mammal," he gazed at her unaltered by the emotion that was apparently building up on the human's face. "I don't care about what you do from here on out. But you do need to know this; being alone is not always the way to go about things. You push those that support you away and you will only end up falling back hard. Once you lose everything, you lose yourself. And once that happens, the only thing that will torment you until the end of your days is madness and sorrow. I should know; I am doing my best to stop myself from doing so."

The realization hit her hard. Again, he was right. Here she was, pushing her mother away for trying to talk to her again because she wanted to rekindle their bond, when she should have been seeing the bigger picture. She was too stubborn on the pain of the past when really she overlooked what was really happening. Her short-sightedness blinded her to the truth. Her mother truly loved her and her sister. And the times when she tried to call her was her trying to make up for lost time.

It was also at that moment Hazel recalled the words Flia told her before she stormed off to the park. What would happen if all of her friends were gone? Who would she turn to? She could turn to her sister, but that would probably not end up well since they grew apart over time. There were her relatives, but again, she grew apart from them and had no idea what their statuses were. She would truly be alone…

Her heart ached from the truth that revealed itself. She was the one that was undermining the family. She was the one who made the situation worse. She was the one who was resisting change.

Hazel nearly lost herself. She may have ended up like Diablo if she kept going down this path. She never thought this day would happen, but she owed the Carnotaur.

There was one thing she wondered about though…

"You say you're under some kind of emotional torment," Hazel said. "How do you keep yourself from going insane?"

Diablo made a toothy, daunting grin; a reaction that put the human on edge. "That…is something you would probably not want to know."

The girl rolled her eyes and turned away, disgusted by the answer he gave her. She could recant the guesses that went through her mind on what he did to prevent himself from going crazy, but doing that would be a waste of time. It would probably make her go crazy too.

"Thanks...I guess," she told him, accepting the strange advice. "I'll keep your advice in mind."

As she proceeded to walk away, she was stopped by the large carnivore calling out to her.

"Human!"

Hazel stopped. She turned slightly to look at him. Her intense gaze met his as she waited whatever he had to say next.

"Don't lose sight of what's important," was all he said before he turned away from her.

The advice stunned her again. It was not like Diablo to be so compassionate about matters like this. Then again, he was years her senior and went through much trauma. Hazel wondered whether he was trying to get into her mind and taunt her on her pain. If so, he could be trying to plan another breakout.

But she would sense that he would through his words. What they discussed about was different. It was out of sympathy. Diablo knew what it was like to love someone else, and what it was like to be loved. The thought was unbecoming and odd, but the one creature that Hazel was the most wary of in the park had a point.

Hazel brought her right index finger and middle finger up for a quick salute. It was not every day Diablo gave helpful advice, and it was much unexpected for her to give him some respect. In her mind, she hoped that things would turn out for the better between her and her mother when she confronted her again.

The woman walked on, eager to get back to her room. She made a mental note to ask the keepers to give him double the amount of meat for the week. No one should be left out in this holiday.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The craze in the park died down with the coming of night. The sweet coolness of the end of day brought about calm to the excitement of the valley. The clouds rolled above to cover the moon and stars, placing the sanctuary in a perpetual darkness. Crickets and other nocturnal creatures gave their voices in to the songs of the night.

Hazel remained awake on her bed, despite the peace of the day's end. A hot bath did ease her a bit, and her dark blue silk pajamas made her feel comfortable, but her mind was still a mess. She took a glance at the digital rectangular clock she had on her nightstand next to her. It was only 9:00 in the evening; not many people would be asleep at this time, unless they were early risers who preferred to sleep early. Anyone else would be either having dinner, getting cleaned up, or relaxing from a hard day's work.

The recent events of the day filled her mind like a turbulent storm. The holiday merriment of the various cultures the Residents celebrated around this time, the argument she had with her mother and eventually Flia, and then the advice she received from Diablo. They kept her awake, and the more she thought of them, the worse her head became. The stress of the day made her head feel like it was pounding on itself like a jackhammer. She had to take a dose of Tylenol just to ease it. The medicine should have knocked her out by now, but her mulling had given her a severe case of insomnia.

Hazel sat up and turned on the lamp on her nightstand. The room that was once coated in darkness illuminated with the brilliant glow. Days ago, she took time to decorate her abode with numerous Christmas decorations. She still retained the posters, books, and other décor she had originally. Off to the corner on her right next to the porch stood the faux Christmas tree she put together; the balls and streamers it had all over wrapped the tree in purple and silver. The white porcelain angel on top serenely smiled down on her in the darkness.

On the opposite corner was a small porcelain Christmas village she assembled on a small table; one of the heirlooms that her grandparents left behind after their passing. The glass painted figurines and buildings stood frozen in time over a bed of soft white fuzz, which represented a field of snow. The scene was of a Christmas winter in the late 1800s, but one that lacked the harshness of human pollution and poverty at the time. Hazel used to play with the figurines and pretend she lived in that village when she was younger. Now she absently looked upon it as it was; a small village frozen in time that only existed in imagination.

Then, draped over her bookcase was an elaborate garland with faux mistletoe and red bows. The false vegetation gave the bookcase a fuller look, covering the deserted top with its own festive cheer. The same could be said with her door, which had a Christmas wreath hanging at the very front.

Normally, she would turn the lights for her decorations on before she went to bed. But due to the stress of the day, she decided against that.

Hazel reached for her phone on her nightstand. She quickly went through the main screen and eventually the music app, where all of her songs were held. The first thing she went to was a playlist that contained all of her favorite Christmas songs. Hazel may be upset with her mother and stressed about the day, but perhaps listening to one Christmas song could ease her tension.

She pressed the shuffle button and let the music fill her room. The sound of strings emanated all around with one note, which then switched to a lower note. Then there was a deeper note. After that, a note that was a bit higher in pitch. She let her muscles and heart relax as she listened in to the song. It was Where are You Christmas by Faith Hill, the famous song that played in homage to Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas in 2001. It was one of her favorite songs.

 _ **Oh, hmm**_

 _ **Where are you Christmas?**_

 _ **Why can't I find you?**_

 _ **Why have you gone away?**_

 _ **Where is the laughter,**_

 _ **You used to bring me?**_

 _ **Why can't I hear music play?**_

 _ **My world is changing,**_

 _ **I'm rearranging,**_

 _ **Does that mean Christmas changes too?**_

 _ **Where are you Christmas?**_

 _ **Do you remember,**_

 _ **The one you used to know?**_

 _ **I'm not the same one,**_

 _ **See what the time's done.**_

 _ **Is that why you have let me go?**_

 _ **Christmas is here**_

 _ **Everywhere, oh**_

 _ **Christmas is here**_

 _ **If you care, oh**_

 _ **If there is love in your heart and your mind,**_

 _ **You will feel like Christmas all the time.**_

 _ **Oh, I feel you Christmas!**_

 _ **I know I've found you.**_

 _ **You never fade away, oh**_

 _ **The joy of Christmas!**_

 _ **Stays here inside us,**_

 _ **Fills each and every heart with love.**_

 _ **Where are you Christmas?**_

 _ **Fill your heart with love**_

By the time the song ended, the woman quickly pressed the pause button on the screen. The message of the song touched her beyond measure. She knew full well of the story of How the Grinch Stole Christmas; a green-furred hermit that lived alone atop a mountain that hated the people of Whoville that lived in the base of the mountain tried to take Christmas away because he thought it was annoying. When he took all the decorations away, he thought he took away the holiday for good. It turned out he only took away material objects, for the true meaning of Christmas meant being with others. Of course, the movie portrayed the story a little differently, but the message was still there.

Hearing the lyrics of Faith Hill along with thinking of the Grinch in the story made her reflect on herself today. The Grinch in the 2001 movie once liked Christmas when he was a child, until the day when his classmates taunted him for his appearance. He fled to a distant mountain, hating the holiday and everyone else for treating him differently. It was not until after he tried to ruin the holiday that he fully understood what Christmas really meant. It was the same with Hazel; once she loved the holiday, until her mother called her that day. Her anger with her mother drew the wedge deeper to the point where she made it clear she would not see her for Christmas. Then seeing all the merriment around the park made her hate the day, until her argument with Flia and her talk with Diablo changed her around.

Hazel touched her cheek, a stark realization hit her. She WAS acting like a total Grinch. It was only for a moment, but the similarities were uncanny. The Grinch let the pain of his past torment him. She allowed that as well. Sure, she was fine with her grandparents and sister, but it was not the same as the last Christmases she had when she had her parents. Then when she celebrated Christmas in the park, it was mostly with Nigel and the other employees that decided to stay, though she was closer with Nigel's group. But that was usually before Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Her Christmases were lonely ones.

Now the park was filled with Residents, each of them had their own way to celebrate the holidays. Different individuals, different cultures, yet all of them occurred nearly at the same time.

This gave her an idea.

Hazel grabbed for a black sweatshirt and her sneakers on her desk chair. Once ready, she rushed out the door. She sprinted down the stairs, passed the lounge area, and out the building into the cool night. She ran and ran until she reached a familiar forest with raised wooden pavilions.

The girl climbed them, sped through the wooden bridges, until she was inside a treehouse office. Sitting on his chair, working on some papers for some other plans, was Nigel. He looked up and saw her panting, but had resolve on her features.

"Hazel? What are you doing here? I thought you were already asleep?" Nigel questioned.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at this time, but I've got an idea that will rock your socks off."

The man listened intently to her proposition. The idea she spoke of was something he accepted forthwith. They worked on their plan until the wee hours of the morning, just hours before dawn arrived.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, things at the park became busier than ever. Nigel called a meeting with all the employees regarding what he and Hazel discussed. Hazel had to rush with preparing herself for the day; in contrast to yesterday, she only wore a white fitted T-shirt under a light green wrap-around sweater along with light grey capris and her sneakers. It was a surprisingly cool day in the park, but days like that were considered normal where they were.

They all gathered at the café, where they would all fit comfortably and have their breakfast. Interest perforated through all the workers with the reason as to why all of them needed to be gathered. Thoughts of some kind of emergency, to new procedures on looking out for the Residents, and some problem happening in the park were what they thought of. When the leader told them of the real reason, everyone in the meeting became stunned.

Every year, a few days before Christmas, Prehistoric Park's workers would hold a holiday party before they would leave the sanctuary for vacation, at least those who are taking off. They're typical parties, where they would eat a lot, play games with each other, have a white elephant gift exchange, and have a good time. Normally, such events would be held in the café area, which would have its tables rearranged to accommodate the large amount of guests.

This meeting regarded the same kind of party, only this time, the whole of Prehistoric Park was invited. Since a number of the Residents in the park had some celebration at this time, Nigel and Hazel thought it would be a good idea for them all to share their cultures by including them in this party.

The idea of inviting at least 300 prehistoric animals to a normally celebrated human party seemed outrageous. Complications such as controlling the chaos, accommodating their appetites, security measures, especially towards the carnivores, and defensive protocols should one of the Residents decide to go rogue, sounded off during the meeting. Nigel was prepared with his answers, and soon enough, the whole café quieted down with slight satisfaction. The herbivorous Residents will surely behave so long as they knew not to cause any trouble, specifically towards Nero, though the whole park saw that he was doing better in his social behavior. The keepers will still keep an eye on him should he decide to turn against them. To satisfy their hunger, they would have to set aside a whole mound of different foods from their stores, meaning that they would have to request a new shipment of food stocks from the S.A.G.E.S headquarters after the party. Nigel also mentioned the carnivores will behave since some of them had holidays at this time, which surprised the employees that were not paying any attention to that sort of thing. But just in case, they will need to carry stun guns and tranquilizers with them, but keep them hidden to not ruin the merry atmosphere.

The reason why he and his protégé wanted to do this was to help break the ice further between the Residents. The majority of the park consisted of herbivores, with only a small percentage of it belonging to the carnivores. Some of them were still uneasy with living with creatures that could kill them, specifically members of Aladar and Neera's herd. If their uneasiness kept up, then it would not be long before some of them would feel like leaving. With the party, it would get them acclimated to living with them and show they are not so bad. It was a sound idea, and everyone hoped there would be no more uncertainty with their friends.

The party was planned to be held in the infirmary, and the outside perimeter was to be extended towards the elephant grounds. The only area that seems out of the way, but still close enough, would be Tai and Sable's playground, which Nigel and Hazel agreed to leave open for the other younglings to play with. They will need to be supervised by a few keepers and some of the adults in case an accident occurs. The perimeter was to be marked by LED lights and torches so the outside boundaries of the party would be illuminated.

Activity and party planning began soon after Nigel finished giving out the main idea. One team led by Suzanne would work on food planning. Another team, led by Bob, would work on planning the activities as well as setting up any game fields that would be of interest. Marcus would help with the lighting, the stereo system, the main monitor for the stage, and microphones should anyone decide to do some karaoke. As for Nigel, he was in charge of getting the food together for the party.

This left Hazel to work on the minor bits. Her job was to meet with Espantos and have him carry the invitation to the main part of the park. She left as soon as the meeting ended. Hazel went straight to Espantos' enclosure and gave him specific instructions on who to speak to. Once he got the information on who was coming to the party, he needed to report back to her so that she could let Nigel know for what foods to bring in. The Terror Bird sped off on his mission, creating a large dust cloud that covered her and the area. When the cloud disappeared, so too did the Terror Bird that was once inside.

No one knew how Espantos was able to escape his enclosure. The walls of his fence were too high for him to jump. The wooden poles of his barrier extended deep into the earth that it would take a while for anyone to create a hole deep enough to go under. Even when he still had his Perimeter Collar on, the Miocene predator always found a way to escape his little habitat.

Hazel learned to accept the Terror Bird's antics long ago. With that task done, she made her way to the Herd Grounds, where her next task was surely to be found.

It did not take very long for her to reach the lake of the Herd Grounds. It was even more fortuitous that the ones that needed to be present for her task were already there. Aladar, Neera, Flia, Eema, Baylene, Plio, Yar, Zini, and Aya were talking amongst themselves, no doubt about the events of yesterday that concerned her. The only ones not present were the children and Url, who were somewhere else in the park. Hazel took a deep breath and approached them; her confidence wavered a little when they broke off from their conversation to look upon her.

"Hey guys," she greeted. A moment of silence passed, creating an awkward atmosphere. She shifted in her position out of nervousness before continuing. "Um, you probably know what happened yesterday, so I'll cut to the chase."

She breathed deeply and spoke in her most confident tone. "I'm really sorry about how I acted. I'm pretty sure Flia already told you; I had a fight with my mom. She...invited me to spend time with her for the holidays. You guys already know what happened in my family, so I pushed her away...again. I couldn't forgive her for leaving me and my sister, and I was so stubborn to accept her. She was trying to make up for lost time, and I was too arrogant to see that. And seeing all the merriment yesterday just made things worse for me, up to the point where I lashed out at my friends when they didn't do anything wrong. I hung onto the past when I should have been moving forward. I...hope you guys can forgive me."

"Oh Hazel, of course we forgive you," Neera approached with a sympathetic regard to the emotional human. "We know of what you were going through and we understand that. You were having a hard time."

Hazel frowned. The knowledge of her mistake incessantly bugged her mind. 

"Girl, you may not this," Eema spoke up with a few steps forward. "But a few of us know a thing or two about hanging onto the past. You hold a grudge on something and all it'll ever do is make you bitter. Your mother, whoever she is, may have done wrong in the past, but now she's tryin' to make up for it. It's up to you on whether you want to keep pushin' her away or not. Whatever you do, will affect how you live your life. And considering you've been goin' about with this grudge, I think its best you get this fixed up."

"Yeah...I guess I should," she looked away for a moment in an attempt to hide her hesitancy. "But, I don't know if trying will do any good now. I think I already made it clear I didn't want anything to do with her."

It was then that the _Brachiosaurus_ elder decided to speak up. She took a few steps forward and leaned her great neck down. The two of them looked at each other at eye level, despite the sauropod having a much larger headframe.

"Young lady, take this from an old woman who has been through much over the years," she said in her usual British accent. "Friends and family will have their ups, and they will have their falls. They will have their precious times, and there will be times when they are at war. Whatever mistakes one makes, no matter how severe, there is always a way to make things right. It's never too late to turn a new leaf, as the young generations always say."

"The old lady's right," Yar rumbled, hopping forward shakily until he was a mere couple feet from her right leg. Following close behind were the rest of his family. "I've had my fair share of fights in my youth. Some of which are with Plio, but sometimes she can't see who's actually right."

His accusation was met by a jab to his chest, courtesy of his daughter Plio. The elder lemur gagged at the sudden hit. His hand gingerly rubbed his chest.

"Dad!" she frowned at him.

"What? You know I'm right! Remember when you were eating that one fruit with those spots that one time? I told you it wasn't good to eat and you didn't listen. What happened? You got sick for the day."

Plio dismissed that memory as something so simple. "I was a little curious."

"Curiosity can kill someone," he countered with sass. "Remember when your Uncle Nuvi took you out for a swim and you nearly got eaten? That's because you both were swimming in a dangerous area in the island; an area where I specifically told you to avoid at all costs."

"Okay I get it," the matriarch rolled her eyes. "Also, it was Uncle Nuvi's idea."

"And yet you listened to him," Yar nearly coughed out of disapproval.

"Alright enough," Aladar said, who along with his mate, appeared right behind them. The two lemurs silenced their little dispute. His attention returned to the human that failed in hiding her snickers at the bickering the two lemurs were having. She stopped as soon as she saw the _Iguanodons_ staring at her. "You see? We all have our faults. Families and friends can fight sometimes, but if there's something I learned, it's that each conflict brings loved ones closer than before. Your mother will forgive you. I'm sure of it. And no matter what happened before, she still loves you. I'm sure you still love her too. Am I right?"

Hazel nodded silently. It was hard to admit it, but even with the grudge she had for her mother, she still loved her. It was just hard to bring it out after their separation; up to the point where she buried all affection she had for her mother. That whole time, she only saw her as an annoying stranger rather than someone who raised her.

"Thanks guys," the woman blinked away a few tears. "And, I'm really sorry for how I acted."

"All if forgiven," said Flia, who just landed next to her. "It's in the past now."

At that moment, everyone gathered around the small human. Hazel immediately became surrounded by nuzzles and embraces by her friends. First she was wrapped within the wings of Flia. Then the lemurs hopped onto her and hugged her tightly. Then the others came with their snouts close to her. Their warmth spread to the woman, and she welcomed the feel of the embrace of her close friends.

Hazel reveled in their love. The last time she was in something like this, it was right after they escaped the second Fireball, when she and her friends made up when she kept her knowledge on the valley's destruction secret. She loved being with them; they were, after all, her family. She would do anything to protect them, even if it meant her life. If one of them died, she had no idea how she would be without their company. The worst case scenario would be her going off on a rampage just like Diablo did during the second breakout.

She hoped they would remain together forever. Just them and her. No obstacle, human or cruel part of nature, would ever tear them apart. She would make sure of that.

Minutes passed by and the human decided to end the embrace with a cough. "Um, you guys can stop now. I'm feeling better."

The dinosaurs, flying reptile, and lemurs pulled away at her request. They watched as she cleared her throat and made herself look presentable.

"Okay, now that that's settled, I actually came to you for another reason. I wanted to relay a message."

"A message?" said Aya, who seldom spoke most of the time. "What kind of message? Nothing urgent I hope."

A shake of the human's head calmed her fears. "No no, far from it. It's about what's happening tonight."

"Tonight?" Aya's mate Zini put his hands on his hips. His tail wagged in excitement. "What's going on? Is it some kind of celebration? Cause there's this whole Gotam's Day and Maris Day going on and another one just sounds pretty...busy."

"Wow, Zini. That was your first guess?" Hazel said with a chuckle.

The lemur scoffed before waving his hand in a dismissive manner. "What? Had to give it a try."

She shook her head, amused by how right he was. "Well...that's exactly what it is."

"Wait, really!?" he exclaimed, jumping in excitement.

Hazel confirmed with a nod. "Yup. Nigel and I are hosting a huge party tonight at sundown over at the infirmary. You know, the huge building close by. Everyone's invited."

"Really?" Aladar leaned his head back, a smile creasing on his lips. "Well that's great! None of us have ever been to a human party before. What's the occasion?"

"Oh, just the usual holiday cheer," she blatantly explained. "I found out yesterday that nearly everyone here has some kind of holiday they're celebrating at this time. You guys have Gotam's Day, Maris Day, Espantos has some Jubie Day, the Sabers have Hunter's Bounty, and nearly everyone has something to celebrate. Then there's the human tradition I told you about; Christmas...or Hanukkah if they're not into that kind of thing, but I'd rather not get into it. Since everyone is festive at this time, we figured we could combine it into one huge party."

"Well that's exciting," Neera approved. "This party is going to be pretty big if we're invited. Who else is going?"

It was then that Hazel took on an air of apprehensiveness. Her change in demeanor prompted the others to become bothered with what was coming next. They remained silent, waiting for what the news was on the guest list.

"Um...that's the thing," she tensed with a chuckle. "When I said everyone, I mean EVERYONE in the park, including the carnivores."

"WHAT!?" Eema, Baylene, Yar, and Zini yelped as one. The outburst they made hurt Hazel's ears. As a result, she ended up rubbing them to soothe the pounding they now had.

"Ew…that one hurt," she grimaced when she finished rubbing her ears.

"Are you crazy!?" Yar protested at the suggestion. "What, are you trying to kill us or something!?"

"Yar," she narrowed her gaze at how over reactive he was being. "Do I need to remind you again of what this park is all about?"

"But-," he started.

Hazel brought a hand up to quiet him. "Relax. No one is going to get eaten. It's the holiday season. Peace on earth, you know. That kind of thing. Besides, you've been here long enough. You should already know that the predators here, well most of them, wouldn't dare hurt their neighbors."

"Yeah well what about the less friendly ones?" his distrust continued. "And I'm talking about that...Rascal, and don't get me started about that Carnotaur."

She put a hand at the back of her neck. She never really thought about them. If she had to make a guess, they would probably not be interested in this kind of thing. Diablo was not really into parties and would most likely go after them as part of his buffet line if he were in a good mood, and not in the jolly way. But at the moment, he was sulking about the happy memories of his past that he wished he could relive. He would not want to participate in something like this. Rascal would not want to participate either, mostly because he would be disgusted with the amount of cheer going around.

In short, Hazel did not see either of them joining in on the fun. But then that left the possibility if they did decide to join. The keepers would have to bring out the stun guns and tranquilizers should they decide to cause trouble.

"Um...well we're still getting the RSVPs down," she quickly said.

"So you're just going to let everyone out, without the security measures you spoke of?" Zini surprisingly joined in on supporting the old male lemur's protests.

Hazel dipped her head, confirming their suspicions. "Yup. Only if they so choose to attend on the condition that no harm is to come to anyone."

"And what if they decide to turn their backs on us?" said the lemur patriarch.

The woman gave them a cold, hard stare. Honestly, when were they going to stop with all this questioning? She felt like she was in the middle of a court room with multiple judges that were determining her fate. Hazel schooled herself to the point that all hints of irritation were hidden.

"They won't," she answered. "I can assure you. Need I remind you of this park's mission?"

Both lemurs shook their heads, not wanting to hear another lecture about that again.

Hazel relaxed, happy that she did not have to lecture them again on Prehistoric Park's mission. "Now the party is going to have a ton of meat there," she took note of the friends that were not so thrilled about being part of the carnivores' meal for the night. They relaxed when she mentioned what she meant. "Meat that isn't alive. So the carnivores here will be catered to, meaning that there won't be any hunting. Now I'm just going to put this out there; this is a good opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. We all live in the same place after all. It's also a good way for everyone to see how friendly these guys can be. From what I can tell the past few months, most of your buddies out in the valley still feel uncomfortable with living with guys that can tear them limb from limb. Once they meet them and see how not-dangerous they are, all feelings of insecurity will disappear. But, if they're still feeling uncomfortable, you can let everyone know the carnivores are offering a truce, just for tonight. They won't hurt you or eat you. How's that?"

"Well, I guess that isn't such a bad idea," the male herd alpha pondered on it for a moment. Among their group, he was the one that was least afraid of the Residents, save for Diablo for which he had some apprehension towards due to their past run-ins. In fact, he was the one that helped drive the Carnotaur's anger due to his involvement with his mate's death and in the canyon battle.

"I agree," Neera seconded. "The idea seems unorthodox, but I'd like to get to know our meat-eating friends outside their abodes."

"I haven't had any problems with living with the carnivores," said Baylene. "Especially since that Broken Jaw and his companions frequent with Yin and Charles' herd. However, that Rascal is quite an earful."

Eema rumbled with insecurity. "I don't associate with carnivores, just the ones that look dangerous to me."

Yar huffed. "That would be all of them…"

The _Styracosaurus_ bellowed in a threatening manner, bringing the old lemur to silence. "But if you trust them girl," she eyed the human with confidence. "I suppose I can give them a chance."

"Same with us," said Plio.

"Plio!" her father protested.

"Dad, it's good for everyone," the white and brown female reasoned. "We've seen the good they can do. Naomi and Embo are friends with Sabrina and her mate. Their children play with each other on some days. Matilda and Terrence have no malicious intentions. Irwin is friendly...in his own way. Not to mention Espantos, who we deemed just as innocent. Why not let them prove themselves further?"

The elder male grumbled, still unconvinced with associating with the Park's carnivores despite his previous introductions to them in the past.

Hazel, on the other hand, accepted that most of her friends were gung-ho. "Great! Now I'd like you guys to relay it to everyone else. I know not everyone will be too peachy keen about it, but just let them know that they're welcome to come along. Also, mention everything I told you about."

"Alright, we will," Aladar promised. "It's going to be a tough sellout, but we'll try."

"Um, this might be a bit too late for this," Zini apprehensively brought up. "But who else is going again?"

"HAZELNUT!"

The call of a familiar, raspy, squawk brought them over to a certain avian running down a hill. The yellow and black of his feathers, including the large beak that could smash nearly anything with a stroke, gave away his identity as Espantos. While Hazel and the rest of the dinosaurs, including Flia, were mostly unfazed with his approach, the lemurs hid behind the legs of their bigger friends when he stopped before them.

"Hey Espantos," Hazel took a few steps forward to the giant bird. "You finished with relaying the invites to everyone?"

"Sure have!" he jumped with pleasure.

"Awesome!" she quickly took out her phone, which she had stored in one of her back pockets. With a few swipes and finger movements, she was already on the notes application on her phone. "Alright, who do we have?"

"Well, Big Croc-Hunter Irwy's coming," he started, incorrectly pronouncing Irwin the _Deinosuchus'_ name. "But he told me to let you know he'll be a bit late coming to the party. It's something about him having trouble with directions. Should we hire a cab driver for him?"

Hazel gawked at the 10-foot-tall bird. How would he know what a taxi driver was? Did he hear it from someone? His knowledge on everything about the 21st century despite his innocence and being from prehistoric South America was a conundrum.

"No... but I'm sure his buddy Colgate can give him some directions," she recovered from her shock.

"Okay! Mr. Brucey and his buddies are coming too," he continued. His mention on Brucey confused Hazel, but when he continued, she understood who he was referring to. "Though they're wondering if they can host their wrestling contest while they're there."

"Um, Brucey?" questioned Flia on the unknown individual. "I don't recall someone named that around here."

The human glanced at her and reiterated who he meant. The _Pteranodon_ silently nodded in understanding. "He means Bruno and his tribe."

When she recalled the Therizinosaurs in the park being invited to the party, she immediately thought of what their wrestling request would entail. If they were to hold such a competition, there would be injuries that would follow. Then there was the possibility of other Residents wanting to join in on the fight. If that happened, then there would be chaos. The party would become a barbaric spectacle. A lot of people, dinosaurs, and mammals would get hurt. If this competition were to happen, there would need to be some rules, objects to prevent grievous injuries from happening, along with a separate area for them to use so that they could take their competition away from the main gathering place.

Hazel would have to bring this up with Nigel and Bob later that day.

"Um, I don't know. That might be a bit dangerous for the other guests..." she thought about it.

"Oh, don't worry!" Espantos cheerily said. "It's just between them."

The human shrugged. If it was just between them, then that should not be much of a problem. "Hm... we'll figure something out then. Anyone else?"

"Let's see…" Espantos pondered for a moment. "Breezy and her friends are going. They've got leaves full of bugs they'd like to contribute to my bug pile. They're so nice... Terrence and Matilda are for sure going."

The mention of the rexes made the lemurs, including Eema, anxious about allowing those two giant predators to come to the party. It would make sense, since they were among the biggest carnivores in the park. Hazel gave them a reassuring look, silently reminding them of how well-behaved they were since their little feud ended months ago.

"Sabby and friends are coming too," the Terror Bird incorrectly called the Sabertooth cats. "They mentioned they'll be a bit late because they're bringing their hoard of meat along."

"We can help with that," Hazel told him, thinking of asking some of the keepers to help the large felines with hauling their piles of meat to the party. "What about the _Allosaurus_?"

"Oh, Ally and Lissa are definitely coming! They're very excited about this. I hope you don't mind, but I got one of your circle leaves from one of your walls and gave it to them. They're wearing them around their necks."

The Asian face palmed. Earlier that day, when she was making her way to the café for her breakfast and the employee meeting, she noticed the Christmas wreaths that decorated the double doors to the building missing. She would remember their placement because she was the one that put them there. Hazel asked the other employees on the whereabouts of the two wreaths; all of them said they had no idea where they went.

Espantos telling her he stole them to give to Big Al and Alyssa explained where they went to. It would seem he was eager to get the two _Allosaurus_ fragilis in on the celebration so much that he started misplacing the decorations.

"Flitty and Gila are coming too," he mispronounced the names of Caius the _Ornitholestes_ and Flit the _Rhamphorhynchus_. "But right now, they're trying to convince Grumpy Jaw to come along. I'm not sure if he's coming though. Last time I checked on him, he seemed kind of sleepy. We should save him something from the party if he's not going."

"Yeah, we should," she replied. It was no surprise that Broken Jaw would feel unenthusiastic about this kind of thing. He did not seem like a party animal. Not to mention Al and Alyssa's attendance would make him want to stay away. It had been several weeks since his fight with Al; he was probably still uncomfortable to be around Alyssa, whom he once had feelings for.

"Now I'm guessing Ben, Twitch, and Scorpio would like to come too, but considering their problem with the air here, we'll have to bring out our oxygen tent so they could join in on the fun," Hazel guessed on the status of the Carboniferous bugs.

Because Twitch, Scorpio, and Ben hailed from a time where there was more oxygen than normal, they would need large bodies to adjust to those levels. Now that they were in a time where there was less oxygen, their bodies would not be able to handle the modern-day atmosphere. Little oxygen meant a tough time breathing. The last breakout proved that; when their enclosure was destroyed due to Diablo's rampage, they were forced to flee outside, where they nearly suffocated to death. Had it not been for Suzanne and the vet's interference, not to mention Hazel and Flia rescuing Twitch from the sky when he warned them of the situation, they would have died.

If the bugs wished to attend the party tonight, they would have to be in that oxygen tent they were in during that breakout. It would bar them from participating in the party activities, but Hazel made a note to not leave them out of the entertainment as best as she could.

While she was thoughtful on the insects' involvement, Espantos became oddly wary of her knowledge of them. The avian leaned closer to her, his eyes scrutinizing her every being. Hazel uncomfortably stood before him, trying to make herself seem unafraid of his observance.

"Wait, you knew they were coming along?" he analyzed. "Are you psychic or something?"

Hazel shrugged. "No, just a lucky guess. Now...what about Rascal and Diablo?"

The change in topic changed the mood of the Miocene hunter, but it also made the friends around them even more apprehensive. Aladar and Neera did their best to hide their uneasiness, but everyone else had heightened anxiety. Rascal was an individual they considered to be a nuisance. The main worry was the _Carnotaurus_. It did make sense since he was an enemy of theirs. If he were let out and decided to come after them rather than join in on the party, it would be a massacre.

"Hm... Raspy and Devil-oh won't be going I'm afraid. Raspy said the party would "cramp his style", though I don't see how it would because his look seems fine. Then Devil-oh said he's not into parties. Such a shame, I wanted to show them my favorite novels..."

The Valley inhabitants all breathed a sigh of relief. Diablo not attending the party was a good sign. It did make things easier on all of them, especially the leaders of large groups. No one would surely want to associate with the other Residents if the most tyrannical one in the park was in attendance. As for Rascal, his absence meant easier tolerance.

Hazel, while greatly puzzled as to how and where Espantos knew about novels, was a bit relieved as well. Like her friends, she would not need to worry about everyone's safety should they come along. But she did think about how lonely Diablo would be during his Feast of Tornac...whenever that was.

Satisfied with the attendance of the predators in the park, she put down the names of Al and Alyssa before storing her phone away into her pocket.

"Alright great. And the status on everyone else? Well, at least everyone in the main part of the park."

"All going!" Espantos concluded with a quick wave of a clawed foot. "I followed your instructions Hazelnut. I can't wait for tonight! It's going to be fun!"

Hazel giggled. "Yeah. Me too."

"Well, I better get going. My sauces should be ready by now," the Terror Bird ran off as quickly as he said that back towards the main part of the park. The group was enveloped by a small dust cloud that lingered for a few moments. All of them coughed out the dirt they inhaled. By the time they recovered, the _Phorhusrhacos_ was long gone.

"Seems like he's ready to party," Aladar remarked, letting out another cough.

"Well that's Espantos for you…" Hazel dusted off some dust on her sweater.

"Well, we'd better get going and let everyone else know about tonight," the alpha announced.

"Alright. See you all tonight!" Hazel waved them goodbye.

The alphas turned and left. They made their way towards the lake shore before walking alongside it. With their departure came the departure of the lemurs as well, who separated left and right to gather the other lemurs in the clan for the impromptu meeting at the gathering tree. With their departure followed the leave of everyone else in the group.

Baylene left so that she could meet with the _Diplodocus_ , the _Borealosaurus_ , and the _Supersaurus_ family to discuss about tonight's party. Eema left in the general direction of where Aladar and Neera went; possibly to go find Url and the other children. As for Flia, she flew off to the lake to get herself a quick early lunch.

Hazel, who was the last to leave, made her way back towards the park. Her two most important tasks of the day were done. Now all she needed to do was take care of some minor business. She had a lot to do before tonight's celebration.

 _ **Darksage: Phew…glad things worked out. Now there's that huge party to look forward to.**_

 _ **Marc: Yup. Now you guys are probably wondering why we mentioned the Grinch in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Well, it is kind of true that Hazel was acting a bit…Grinchy. But hey, she made up for it.**_

 _ **Darksage: Plus that placement of Faith Hill's song was just perfect. We couldn't resist. Plus, it's one of my favorite Christmas songs!**_

 _ **Marc: You mean you couldn't resist…**_

 _ **Darksage: Bleh…whatever. It's a good song. How much food do you think is going to be at that party?**_

 _ **Marc: Um…a lot?**_

 _ **Darksage: Sounds like a lot of leftovers…**_

 _ **Marc: Well, looks like our readers will have to find out in the next chapter.**_

 _ **Darksage: Yup. Man…now I'm hungry.**_

 _ **Marc: Then go eat!**_

 _ **Darksage: Fine…**_


	4. The Valley's Hidden Message

_**Darksage: Whoo! Time for the big party!**_

 _ **Marc: Uh…Sagey? Why are you dressed in a formal gown?**_

 _ **Darksage: What? I can't look nice for this special occasion?**_

 _ **Marc: You do realize we're not exactly invited because this is just in the story?**_

 _ **Darksage: Oh Pishaw! We can do whatever we want! Besides, we can just sneak in and grab some of their food when they're not looking.**_

 _ **Marc: And how do you expect we do that? We're authors!**_

 _ **Darksage: Huh…I guess sneaking in kind of ruins the story. Fine…we'll just "poof" some onto our laps.**_

 _ ***Marc-Ello glares at her, waiting for more***_

 _ **Darksage: *sigh* When the party is done…**_

 _ **Marc: Better.**_

 _ **Darksage: Fair warning to you guys, there's quite a few singings here. Feel free to sing along with them. Or you can play the actual songs as you read along too. Not to mention a few other…"activities" that are in here.**_

 _ **Both: Enjoy the chapter!**_

By the time late afternoon hit, the preparation for the party was in full swing. Employees busily set up the tables meant to hold the food and drinks and the carts that would hold the food for the Residents. The outside of the building set up in one line was the Residents "buffet"; assorted leaves, fruit, duck feed for the _Ornithomimus_ and any _Struthiomimus_ that was interested, raw steak, raw poultry, a wheelbarrow full of fish for the fish eaters, a large tarp with at least ten cow carcasses for the large carnivores, and Espantos' dishes, which he just hauled there not too long ago. Seeing groups of people going in and out of the food warehouse became common. The new shipment of food from the S.A.G.E.S headquarters was due to come in a few days after the holidays. Anyone who was staying in the sanctuary for the holidays with the Residents would surely have a lot of leftovers after the party.

Hazel made her way inside the infirmary, which looked less like one and more like a small gathering place without the medical equipment and supplies that would usually take up the main floor. All of them had to be moved to the back storage for the night. In the back of the airplane hangar-sized building was a wooden stage that was just put together courtesy of some of the engineers; complete with wooden steps leading up to the landing, a drop-down white canvas for projected screens, and a red curtain that was propped up behind it.

The only objects that did not need to be moved around were the Christmas decorations that were already there. The upper balcony was decorated by tinsel and wreaths and would soon light up later at night. On the back wall were large light-up Christmas lights, which included a snowman, a Christmas star, a poinsettia, and a snowflake. The only decorations that were only visible on the outside because of their placement were the Christmas lights that decorated the tops of the building.

The building was really getting into the swing of the Christmas spirit for tonight with all the party décor. To and fro, people milled about with food and other supplies. But Hazel was only here to visit one person.

Crouching in front of the stage, adjusting a projector on a stand along with a small propped flat screen a few feet in front of it was Marcus. Karaoke was one to he activities that was planned for tonight, and he oversaw ensuring its preparation. He and his team already set up the LED lights, along with the speaker systems around the designated party perimeter. Now he was making sure the finishing touches were put in to the electronics for tonight.

"Everything alright here?" Hazel inquired the Filipino.

Marcus turned, and gave the woman a quick wave. Despite being busy with setting up his portion of the party, he still found time to get dressed for tonight. He was dressed in a green and white striped polo shirt with nice dress pants. The dirty sneakers he normally wore were replaced by leather shoes, which he felt uncomfortable in. He still retained his tool belt, though after the setup was done, he was going to have to forgo it for several hours.

"Yup," he said with a thumb's up. "We just finished setting up the lights around the place. We even set up a torch trail leading to the Saber playset, so the kids wouldn't get lost. The whole party will basically be set up from here, the playset, to all the way into the elephant grounds."

"Alright. Great," replied Hazel. "I just checked up on Bob. He's got a team working on the court fields for volleyball, soccer, and wrestling."

The man raised a brow at the mention of the unexpected sport. "Wrestling? Wait wait wait, the meeting didn't mention anything about wrestling."

The dark-haired employee chuckled and scratched her head nervously. "Yeah, I kind of brought it up with Bob, Nigel and Suzanne. Bruno and his Tribe requested a wrestling match and considering how gung-ho they are about it, we decided to add one in."

Marcus shot up, anxious about the problems that would arise from such an idea. "What!? Are you crazy!? Someone's going to get hurt if they're going up against guys like them!"

Hazel waved her hand in a comforting manner, though it did little to calm him. "Don't worry. I spoke with Bob and Suzanne about it. We're going to set up a few rules regarding the wrestling tournament. Any dinosaur who will be competing will have to wear some special padding to reduce injury. There will be vets there in case something serious does happen. And considering the carnivores we've got here, along with anyone else who's into getting rough with others, wrestling is an effective way to let all of that energy out."

He frowned still, his attitude towards the last-minute addition remained unchanged. "I don't know...it doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Relax. Everything's going to be fine."

Marcus sighed, finally relenting. "If you say so…"

Hazel chuckled and changed the subject. Her question caused him to choke on a breath. "So, how's Santa's top elf and his team doing?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he quickly said, the flush of embarrassment flooding on his features.

"Really now?" Hazel put her hands on her hips. "I thought 'Santa's elves' were working on some projects for the Residents here."

As part of the Christmas tradition, the employees of the park here would develop gifts for the Residents. The last few times it was some new foods to eat or some toys. However, those ideas were only temporary as they would end up eaten within a few days or torn up from overuse. The Residents thoroughly enjoyed the gifts, but this time, Good Old Saint Nicholas, or in this case Nigel Marven, decided to develop gifts that were more durable and long-lasting. Whatever gifts they were, none of the employees knew, except for Marcus, the engineers, Nigel himself, and Hazel. The reason why this sort of thing was kept secret until Christmas was because they wanted the rest of the employees to be surprised at what items were given to the Residents, as part of the fun.

Marcus becoming flustered when Hazel asked her question was not due to embarrassment, it was due to everyone around them getting a hint on what inventions were being developed when they should not know yet.

"Well, if I were one of his elves," he said, playing it up to keep the thing a secret. "I'd say the 'projects' are nearly complete. A few more days and they'll be ready for delivery. Of course, that's if I were one of his elves."

"Whatever you say," the woman said before walking away towards the outside. "Well, I'd best start getting ready for tonight."

"See you in a few," Marcus returned the gesture.

He turned his back and went back to work, not paying any mind to the young employee that gave him a finger salute. The party was going to be an interesting one if herbivores and carnivores were going to be out of the comfort zones for the first time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Prehistoric Park Infirmary…6:30 PM

Sunset came by fast. By the time the infirmary was prepared, the party guests, both human and Resident, started arriving. As planned out by Nigel and Hazel, the security generators in the park were deactivated, and the gates to each enclosure were all opened. Residents stepped out of the confines of their homes, reveling in the freedom they were granted for this one night, not that they minded being in their own abodes. The only exceptions to this plan were Diablo, Rascal, the crocodiles that resided in _Deinosuchus_ Dip, and the birds and reptiles that always hung around Nigel's office. Diablo and Rascal, as mentioned by Espantos, were not interested in attending this party for their own reasons. The crocodiles and Nigel's modern-day animal companions chose not to go…for whatever reason, as told by Irwin and Breezy when they spoke with the Terror Bird.

That did not bother Hazel in the slightest bit. The _Carnotaurus_ and _Troodon_ may cause problems at the party; and the goal of this gathering was to get the herbivores in the valley more acclimated to their meat-eating neighbors AND for the carnivores to prove themselves to them. Other than the elephants, who have Martha to translate for them, the other modern-day animals had no such translator. The only other exception would be Irwin's bird friend Colgate, whom Hazel heard was his "dentist". There was no word on her participation in the party.

Hazel wanted to look her best tonight. She could have gone for a nice evening dress, but instead went for something a bit more casual in case she wanted to participate in the physical activities. Her outfit consisted of black dress pants, a nice dark blue blouse, and black ankle boots. Her hair was in a half-up, tied back by an elongated blue clip. Around her neck was a white snowflake and on her ears were matching snowflake earrings. Normally, she would not put on makeup for her work in Prehistoric Park would only ruin her work. However, considering that tonight was a special night, she applied some demure dark brown eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and envy-colored lipstick from Estee Lauder.

When she arrived at the infirmary after making herself look presentable, she was greeted by the other employees that were dressed up for the night. Most of the women wore nice evening gowns, but some of them chose to follow Hazel's idea and wear a nice shirt with pants. The men did not go too far in their attire and chose to go for business casual attire. But it was not the appearance of the employees that caught her attention, but rather the large group of dinosaurs that stood not too far from the infirmary.

One quick look at the group and Hazel found them to be most of the herd from the valley. And standing before them were the _Allosaurus_ , Al and Alyssa. The girl's heart stopped beating when she took notice of the apprehensive facades the herbivores had. This was the first time they were meeting the carnivores of the Park outside of their enclosures! Sure, they would have gotten used to their presences as they would have already toured the park so many times in the past, but to meet them beyond the safety barriers was just a huge step…and a tense one too. And it did not help that the ones that were uncomfortable with living with the carnivores were at the very front.

Neither of them made a move towards each other. The herd members, particularly the _Struthiomimus_ , shifted their feet. One quick move from the carnivores at them and they would sprint away. In fact, they were all ready to run in the other direction in terror.

Hazel approached them, desperate to try and quell the tension in the air.

But she did not have to when she noticed two _Smilodon_ cubs run up to the herbivores. When they did, two _Iguanodon_ younglings, one with a deep brown coloration mixed with indigo and the other with beige and indigo, approached them with enthusiasm. The children giggled and nudged each other playfully. They tackled each other onto the ground in a play-fight. Hazel did not have to think too much to see that they were Tai and Sable, who came up to greet Nolan and Rowyn, the adopted children of the _Iguanodon_ couple Naomi and Embo.

Hazel may be far from the group, but she could clearly see the faces of the herbivores soften. The sight of two children, both having different temporal heritages and different diets, playing with each other, let their guards down. The adults then began to engage in conversations, one that seemed unorthodox between herbivores and carnivores, if they were in their natural habitats. It was not long before laughter came from the multitude of species there.

The woman heaved out a sigh and smiled. Seeing the herd get along with some of the carnivores in the park was good news indeed. Finally, after so long, relations in the park are going in the right direction.

Hazel made her way back inside the infirmary, ready to complete the first task in the party. In this case, quieting the rumbling in her stomach with some food. Getting worried over the reactions of the Residents, along with seeing Terrence and Matilda gorge themselves on the cow carcasses at the Resident buffet line made her hungry.

As she bypassed the conversing employees and Residents in the park, she thought about the whereabouts of her circle of friends. When she was outside, she did not see them anywhere. Hazel assumed they were elsewhere in the party, either conversing with the other employees on matters she knew nothing of, getting some food to eat outside, or checking out the activities in the party perimeter. Their whereabouts did not worry her at the moment.

Hazel wasted no time in filling her plastic plate when she arrived at the employee buffet table. She rushed down the line, gathering a slice of seasoned turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, stuffing, spring rolls, and a scoop of mac and cheese. The last thing she grabbed were her eating utensils and a napkin before she made her way towards one of the dining tables on the right side of the building.

She sat herself down, and ate her fill.

The contents of her plate did not stand a chance when it came to her appetite. Ten minutes later and all the food was gone. Nigel and his colleagues, which Hazel would sometimes have dinner with them, would comment on how voracious her appetite was. They nicknamed her "The Bottomless Pit" one day when she ate at least five platefuls of food one Thanksgiving dinner, and thus would wonder how she managed to maintain her petite and skinny figure. Suzanne commented one time on whether all the food went down to her feet or not. Hazel laughed all of those off; she just had a high metabolism.

Her throat became parched from eating. She got up and made her way back to the buffet line to grab one of the drinks. Hazel retrieved one of the plastic red cups before making her way to the large glass bowl that held the punch. The texture of the bowl had intricated, flower designs, complete with roses, tulips, and lilies all over. The matching ladle also had the same pattern, which lay propped on one side. The fluid was colored orange, which had fruits floating on the top like natural lifeboats. Strawberries, orange slices, lemon and lime wedges, and raspberries mingled in the fruit medley.

Hazel took the large spoon and scooped three helpings into her cup. She then brought it to her mouth, and relished the citrusy-sweet refreshment…

"Hey Hazelnut! Try some of my food!"

She nearly spat out the punch when a loud voice boomed behind her. What was more was that she nearly dropped her cup onto the floor, which she managed to catch mid-air. The only thing that annoyed her was that her hands were now wet with fruit punch.

Hazel turned around, her restrained anger met the upbeat face of Espantos. The cup she held was absently placed back onto the table.

The Terror Bird gestured his head over to the back of the building, passed a small group of men laughing amongst themselves. Peering through the group, she took note of three, detached jeep doors lying on the cement. The door on the very left contained a large pile of insects that Hazel could not tell if they were alive or dead. What she did know was that Breezy and her three other _Microraptor_ comrades were stuffing themselves on top of the pile.

Next to them was a meat medley that looked like the raw steaks found in the food warehouse. Either Espantos raided the food warehouse over the past few days or he hunted down some poor hapless animals that did not last long against his hypercarnivore antics. Either way, they were raw, pink, and were attracting some flies.

Finally, the door on the very right looked vastly different than the other two metal slabs. This one had the edges bent inwards a little, making it look more concave. The contents were not solid, but rather liquid, save for the chunks that were floating in there. The slurry was deep brown, almost black. Hazel had no desire of knowing what was in it. If she did, it could ruin her appetite for the night.

"Um, thanks Espantos," she politely declined while hiding her inner disgust at the concoctions. "But I'm kind of full right now. I'll try some later though."

"Oh. Okay!" Espantos cheerily replied, oblivious to the human's distaste. "Well, don't forget to eat the bugs with the sauces! It's warm, juicy, and tangy!"

Hazel forced herself to not grimace. Instead, she gave him half-baked smile. "Er, thanks."

Just then, when she made a quick turn, she saw something white on the other side of the building. A passing group of conversing women with a couple of _Parasaurolophus_ revealed a white, translucent tent. Squinting, she saw the bugs from the Bug House conversing with a couple of the keepers.

Though she was far away, she could see they did not have anything from the party. Hazel had no idea when they got to the party, the most likely answer being they got their just recently by hurried transport. Because the insects came from a time that had higher oxygen levels, they would have suffered from asphyxiation if they stayed out in this atmosphere for too long. But when they arrived did not concern her at the moment.

Hazel turned back to the buffet table. She grabbed three plates nearest her and filled one of them with the tossed salad that was near the punch bowl. She then went towards the Terror Bird's homemade piles, particularly the bug pile. Breezy and friends paid no mind to her as she filled the two remaining dishes up, but Espantos took notice of her helping herself to his food. He ran up to her, and was about to comment when she suddenly cut him off.

"Sorry Espantos. Your food just looked so good I couldn't stay away. Hope you don't mind if I get some now," she told him. She fought an internal battle as she tried to look excited in front of the Terror Bird; Hazel wanted to gag at the handfuls of bugs she was touching. Her hands were dirtied with insect juice and guts. The smell was worse than the appearance. The concoction of the multitude of bug's juice and internals apparently included stinkbugs too.

"Oh, don't worry about it Hazelnut! I aim to please! I'm glad you're trying out my food!" he beamed.

"Yeah. Thanks!" she quickly got up and left with two full plates on her hands. Hazel narrowly dodged an incoming Flit and Caius, who were joining in on the Terror Bird's cooking. She tried to keep her smile from turning into a gag from the smell. Her poor fingers were now sticky and smelly too.

Getting from one side of the building to the other was a challenge. First, there were the other people and Residents she needed to avoid. One bump and all the bugs would just fall from the white Styrofoam plates. Hazel had to especially be cautious of the plate that was on her arm, which contained the garden salad. Second, the smell that was overpowering her sense of smell. Every now and then, she would cough madly from the stinkbug concoction. Third, the time traveler had to watch where she was stepping. Apparently, the elephants, mainly Mujaji's herd, had just arrived. With the new influx of Residents, there was a big chance that the floor was riddled with new…waste. Nigel came up with a resolution to this "dirty" problem by having a few keepers patrol around for such messes. In addition, Nero was given the day off today since it was a holiday, meaning that the workload was more than usual. So far, the infirmary was still clean, but Hazel still watched her step. It was also a miracle the infirmary did not smell putrid.

Finally, after giving out so many pardons to passing party guests, maintaining her balancing act, watching her footing, and holding her breath sporadically, Hazel made it to the Bug tent.

Some quick instructions to one of the keepers on giving her some space and she was kneeling in front of the zipper that led into the tent. The Carboniferous bugs skittered, or in Twitch's case flew, to the doorway into the outside. Hazel took a deep breath and held it. The doorway opened when the semicircle zipper turned into a giant rip.

The heightened oxygen blew through her with a hiss. Hazel quickly placed the plates inside, all the while resisting the urge to breathe. How Nigel was able to survive the Carboniferous period when he rescued these three gargantuan insects was beyond her. Perhaps he wore a special gas mask filter with air conditions equal to the 21st century when the camera was not rolling.

A moment past and Hazel hastily closed the zipper. She gasped for air, the brief influx of concentrated oxygen reached her lungs almost like a fresh breath of formaldehyde. When she recovered, she peered inside the tent, satisfied to see the giant bugs happily gorging on their "Christmas dinner".

"Here you go you guys," Hazel coughed once. "I didn't want to leave you out from all the food."

" _ **Thank kindly Hazel two-legs**_ ," Ben chattered slowly. Bits of lettuce and spinach dropped from his mandibles. As an _Arthropleura_ , his diet consisted of forest vegetation. Since the leaf mixture was too far away for Hazel to get quickly, she had to settle with the salad. Thankfully, Ben was happy with the dish, especially since human vegetation was a rarity for him. The keepers would give him some leftover salad from the café as a treat sometimes. " _ **Bugs here very hungry**_."

" _Mmm! Dead little hoppy food!_ " Twitch chittered, almost four times as fast as normal annunciation. Him being a dragonfly the size of an eagle and can go at incredibly fast flying speeds, life for the _Meganeura_ was like a record permanently set on fast forward. " _And long squiggly things! My favorite!_ "

Hazel happily watched them devour their dishes. She remained by their side for the next five minutes, asking about how they were doing. It was also a good thing one of the keepers gave her a wet towel to clean her hands. The Bugs coming to this celebration was completely alien to them. The keepers taught them about what the party was about, the human culture known as Christmas, or Kwanzaa or Hanukkah depending on the person's background, and many more questions the insects had. The giant arthropods were always confined in their enclosure due to the inhospitable conditions of the outside, so being able to spend time outside of the Bug House was a special treat. Hazel hoped Marcus or Nigel would hurry and develop something for the Bugs, so they could freely come out of their enclosure without suffocating to death.

With the bugs' checkup complete, Hazel left for the outer perimeter of the party. She wandered through the crowd until she made it to the outside. All around the building, Herd members and other Park Residents coerced with each other, with a few employees in the mix. Off to the left, Hazel could make out the giant form of Irwin slowly lumbering towards a group of employees. One primeval hiss and a presentation of those giant teeth and the chattering group of workers let out startled yelps. Irwin laughed, amused by how frightened they were. The people soon joined in on the fun.

Hazel rolled her eyes and walked in the opposite direction. As one of the hosts of the party, it was her job to make sure that everything was going smoothly. Her first stop was the soccer field, which was positioned a hundred feet from the infirmary. When she passed by the buffet line, Hazel could have sworn she saw a yellow blur sneak past her peripheral vision. One quick look and she saw Broken Jaw stealthily make his way towards the cart with the assorted poultry. It would seem Caius and Flit did convince him to come after all, though due to how discreet he was being by hiding behind objects, he did not want to be seen by anyone. Hazel took a gander and figured he did not want to be seen by either Al or Alyssa, which would create an awkward situation for them.

A few minutes later and she came across the first stop in her patrol. The gathered crowd of dinosaurs and humans, along with their cheers and jeers, pulled her in. Hazel ran up to them, at least as fast as her medium heels could take her. Hazel squeezed through the individuals. Arriving at the front after slipping past a small group of _Microceratus_ and a _Pachyrhinosaurus_ couple, she beheld the sight of a recently enacted soccer game.

A soccer game involving humans and dinosaurs.

The keepers went all out with the playing field. The lines were drawn over with the usual white marking. The field itself was about the size of a regular soccer field, with about 20 more feet added to the length to accommodate for the larger players. The game was between the red team and the blue team. Hazel never played soccer, but from what she knew of the game, each match was split in halves. And each round was about 20 minutes long. The winner of the game is decided when the winning team scores the most points in the time limit for the game. She also knew that each team consisted of 11 team members. Taking one look at the giant green scoreboard at the other end of the field, she noticed that the blue team was at 10 points, while the red team had 16 points. A loud cheer in the crowd and one of the men at the scoreboard placed a plastic 7 page on the hook for the red team, putting them at 17 points.

Hazel worried that the Residents would be clueless on the rules of the game, especially the golden rule about not using hands on the ball. The _Parasaurolophus_ and the _Iguanodon_ have arms that also functioned as legs. Hitting the ball with just one of them could disqualify the players. Her worries relaxed when she saw them kick the ball with their arms, and received no penalty. The keepers present here must have already told them the rules of the game.

She then analyzed each of the team members when they lined up for the next part of the match. The soccer ball, which was riddled with scratches and had bits of it falling off from heavy usage due to the dinosaurs in the game, was quickly replaced by a newer model from the cart filled with balls next to the scoreboard. The blue team, which was marked by blue shirts for the humans and trailing ribbons on the Residents, consisted of an _Ornithomimus_ she recognized as Axel, three more _Ornithomimus_ from his troupe, a _Stygimoloch_ from the herd, a teenaged _Iguanodon_ , who had the thumb spikes covered with sports tape and styrofoam, two men and two women that Hazel did not recognize, and a _Plateosaurus._ The red team relied on the same uniform style, but their team consisted of the _Struthiomimus_ Hazel knew as Altus, three other _Struthiomimus_ from the Valley Herd, a young _Styracosaurus,_ whose horns were wrapped in a mixture of sports tape and Styrofoam as a safety measure to the other players, two girls she knew as part of the veterinarian team, two other young men she assumed were keepers, a teenaged _Parasaurolophus_ , and another _Ornithomimus_.

Each team was well balanced. The blue team had the advantage of speed due to most of their players being fast on their feet. Their reactions were quick. The _Ornithomimus_ have no trouble with catching up to their opponents when they had the ball. Their team was balanced too with a _Plateosaurus_ playing as the goalie in front of a giant makeshift net goal.

The red team, like the blue team, also had the advantage of speed thanks to its speedy members. When it came to it, the _Ornithomimus_ and _Struthiomimus_ would go head to head when it came to stealing the ball. But, the red team had a slight advantage over the blue due to the _Styracosaurus_ and the _Parasaurolophus_ having more stamina.

Hazel stayed for a small portion of the game. By the end of the match, the red team erupted in cheers and embraces, which were followed by the same reactions towards the blue team for playing well. The final score between the red and blue team was 19 and 17 respectively.

The crowd cheered; everyone that was present in the game enjoyed the thrill of the game. It was not every day that a soccer match took place in this valley. The herd members and Residents too were excited. This was their first ever soccer match, a sport that was made for humans.

Hazel promptly left the soccer field, happy that this part of the party was going well.

The next area she visited was the volleyball court, which was just further south from the first sports field. White markers were once again drawn onto the ground to mark the boundaries. The referee, which Hazel recognized as one of the employees that worked at the park café, sat on the high chair adjacent to the net. Like the soccer field, the scoreboards were positioned on opposite sides of each other, and used paper numbers to mark the points. The net, or two nets in this case, bordered each other, making the field twice as large as what it should be. Because the field was bigger, the usual six players present on the field became ten. The other players must have been hidden in the crowd or the keepers decided to keep the match informal by having a small team for each group. Each team was marked by colorful flags; instead of red and blue, it was green vs orange.

It was also here that Hazel found a few friends from her circle. Eema, Baylene, Flia, who was perched on the back of the elderly _Styracosaurus_ , Url, Yar, Plio, Zini, and Suri were cheering on the teams from the other side of the field. The bellows and roars overpowered their own whoops and cheering, but Hazel could tell they were really into the game.

When she analyzed the teams, she could see why. Playing in the green team was Aladar, who was playing in the rear guard of their side of the field. His team consisted of Lethe the _Parasaurolophus_ , three men that Hazel knew as keepers, two other women from that same profession, a _Stygimoloch_ , Thena the _Plateosaurus_ , a _Pachyrhinosaurus_ female, which Hazel could tell due to her slender build and smaller horns. On the other side, the orange team consisted of Neera, who was in the rear guard, three women that were part of the veterinarian team, a female _Struthiomimus_ , Theo and Ellie, the park's _Triceratops_ couple, Oddie the _Plateosaurus_ , a teenaged _Styracosaurus_ , and Sarge the _Pachyrhinosaurus_.

The sight of the two teams amused her. This match was mostly a friendly game between couples, minus Lethe and Sarge, along with the other team members. In fact, the players that played the most ferociously were the ones that were mates to each other. If it were not for the horns and spikes being covered by the same white material used on the other players in the soccer field, the grey, stiff ball would have popped within the first few minutes.

Back and forth, the ball switched between the two sides. The dinosaurs used their arms to bat the ball. Or, in the _Iguanodon's_ , Lethe's, and the _Plateosaurus'_ case, their tails. The ball did not seem to touch the ground at all due to the determination of each member of the teams.

The minutes started to become long. The score that was once 7 to 8 between the orange and green respectively became 10 to 11. From what Hazel remembered on playing volleyball back in high school as part of her gym curriculum, the match is determined by 2 or 3 sets, with each set having 25 points. The game was going to be long, and Hazel did not wish to stay the whole time.

The woman wanted to stay and cheer her friends on. But as one of the party's hosts, she had other places to be. Hazel left while the crowds cheered for another point made. What team it was, Hazel did not know, for she was already too far from the game to find out.

"Well, so far so good," Hazel said a she made her way to the final sports field in the party. "The winning Residents are going to love those rare fruits we got them. And the gift cards for those restaurants in Johannesburg are a clever idea for the workers. A job well done on my part."

It was true; it was she who suggested what the prizes would be to the winners. When Hazel came up with that idea, she had to rush off to find Bob while he and his team set up the fields. It was a bit last minute, and it did catch them off guard, but it was something everyone could work with.

Hazel arrived at the last activity in the party. This crowd, unlike the other two, was a bit smaller. The other difference was the spectators included the large carnivores, minus Irwin, who was still over at the main hub of the party. Everyone was cheering, including the herbivores who were oddly enamored by this sort of spectacle.

Squeezing through, she saw the cause of such commotion. It was a wrestling match, complete with a sumo-wrestling ring drawn with white paint on the ground. But this match was no ordinary one. It was a battle between two prehistoric creatures.

On one end stood Bruno, the towering, brightly plumed leader of the _Therizinosaurus_ tribe. His body had small scratches and bruises, but no major injuries. His claws, which were his most dangerous weapons besides his brute strength, were covered in the same white material shown in the other two games.

The scythe lizard threw his opponent, who charged at him, around by using his momentum. The identity of the other contender was given away by his green hide and eye scar. The thumb spikes he possessed were shielded to prevent injury to others.

It was Nero.

It was unusual to see him partaking in this sort of event. Normally, Nero abhorred any activity involving humans and Residents, including carnivores. Being around this many carnivores would drive him nuts. Perhaps it was his time spent in the park that softened him. Or perhaps he needed a break from his duties as the park's "cart-carrier" and wanted to let off some steam. Whatever the case, he was battling against Bruno of his own accord…and he was losing.

"Come on you overgrown pot-bellied worm," Nero spat, a glob of blood splattered on the pristine grass. "I'm waiting for your next move."

"Green spike thumb call Bruno worm?" the brightly-plumed vegetarian theropod rumbled in his Hulk-ish accent. "Green spike thumb gets my claws!"

The two bruisers charged; their clash rang with a bang. Nero pushed the towering Bruno back, using his rear feet to propel himself forward. The dirt that they stood on, which was full of the tracks of the fighting contenders, now had drag marks added to them. The long-necked attacker screeched as he unwillingly approached the boundary line.

Hazel only knew the main points of wrestling. A winner of a match was decided when the opponent is unable to recover after 10 seconds. For sumo wrestling, which this game had the elements of, the winner can gain victory by pushing the other opponent off the ring. If she had to guess, this match was best 2 out of 3, lethal hits were prohibited, but stunning was permitted.

The crowd went nuts. Cheering and jeering resonated from everyone in the group. Hazel joined in as well, supporting Bruno, and surprisingly Nero, in their joust match. Cheering for the green _Iguanodon_ was an odd feeling towards the young employee. He was supportive of Kron in his later beliefs, he punted Hazel herself into the valley lake after she revealed her information on the Fireball destroying the Nesting Grounds in their time, he tried to usurp Aladar for the role of leader, and he was tricked into releasing Diablo when he was promised his enemies would be eliminated. Hazel did not like Nero, but after the events of the last breakout, she saw he had the potential for goodness. After all, he did protect some of her friends from getting run over by the park's ornery _Elasmotherium_. Nero was not much of a likeable character, but over the past few weeks, Hazel saw he was doing his best to make up for his mistakes.

The forest warrior's effort in earning forgiveness was admirable. Most of the crowd already settled on Bruno winning, but Hazel felt Nero needed some respect too.

"Come on Bruno! Go Nero! Fight! Win!" she hollered, raising her fists to a bump.

Both roared in determination. The _Therizinosaurus_ was mere feet from the edge of the ring. A wry smile creased on the _Iguanodon's_ haggard face. It would seem the game was at an end for Bruno.

Then, the unexpected happened. Bruno held onto the sides of Nero. Using his own strength, he hauled the herbivore around, just like he did earlier in the fight. The Iguanodon flew, bellowing shrilly. The crowd on that side backed away, avoiding the falling herbivore from crashing into them. Nero landed with a ground-shaking thud, though it was on his stomach.

The referee, who turned out to be a young male keeper wearing the classic black and white striped referee shirt and black pants, quickly ran to the side of an exhausted Bruno. He raised his left hand up and gestured to the remaining contender. "And the winner of this round by knockout from the ring...is BRUNO!"

The crowd erupted. Hazel clapped and cheered as well. She never attended a wrestling match before, especially one that involved dinosaurs, but this truly felt like watching a ring match.

"YES! BRUNO IS STRONGEST THERE IS!" Bruno roared triumphantly.

His contender, a partially stunned but clearly pissed off Nero, stood up. His eyes wearily glared at his opponent with upset.

"Hey! That's not fair! The rules say to push the opponent through the line, not to throw them!"

The crowd quieted; their positive adrenaline died down and was replaced with slight doubt at the new development.

The referee took a few steps forward and raised a hand for a moment. "Sorry Nero, but I'm afraid you heard the rules wrong. A winner is decided when the competitor is knocked down and does not get up after 10 seconds or if their opponent is sent passed the boundary. What Bruno did is within the jurisdiction of the rules. There is no penalty."

Hazel knew that none of the Residents had no concept of time, save for day and night or when unique events happen. Somehow, they could feel it in a sort of "instinctual way". But telling time? That was alien to them. However, with how quiet the Residents were, along with the nods they were giving, it would seem they understood the gist of the explanation. If the fighter does not get up after some allotted time has passed, then the game was decided.

Nero's face melted into a scowl. "Gr... I was not ready for that! I demand a rematch!"

Right when he said that, some of the keepers stepped up and gestured him away. He gave them one look, one that would send anyone running from the sight of him. Hazel thought they would flee, however, seeing as they stood their ground and Nero made an expression of defeat mixed with frustration, she was proved wrong. Apparently, the keepers that were leading the irate herbivore away were the ones that worked with him often. They learned how to put up with his temper.

The referee then called out to him, making the unusual group stop to look at him. "Alright. You can fight him again...if he manages to beat his next opponent."

The burly emerald fighter, though still irritated, made a brash snort. He raised his head and walked away with the keepers before they all blended into the crowd.

The man that proclaimed the proposition stood in the middle of the ring, his voice ringing out in his announcer tone. "Let's give it for our undefeated champion, Bruno!"

The audience erupted once more, with Bruno roaring triumphantly to the sky.

"And now for our next two opponents-, " he started but was then cut off by the sole contestant in the ring.

"No! Bruno wants to fight more!"

The keeper turned to him, surprised of what he had just heard. "But Bruno, you've already had your turn. Let the others have a turn next."

"Fighting spirit still burns," the herbivorous theropod chanted with pride. "Bruno cannot stop excitement. Only stop when next fight ends. I want to fight more…"

He made a quick glance at the crowd, who were showing signs of awkwardness with the new development. It was clear that some of them were a little opposed to such a request, as that would mean denying a turn for the upcoming fighters. Others were concerned with Bruno's continuation in the ring.

But when Bruno's eyes fell on young Hazel, who was at the front row in the crowd, his body tensed up. The girl narrowed her eyes. She gestured her head over to the referee. Though she remained silent, she saw that her message was received easily. Bruno may be one of the strongest creatures in the park, but even he needed some work in his manners.

The _Therizinosaurus_ sighed and his face softened. "Please."

Thankfully, the man bought the request. He shrugged his shoulders and made his announcement. "Well, what do you think folks? Should Bruno continue?"

The crowd replied with a cheer. Those that were initially opposed to the request relented. The night was still young after all. There will be plenty more matches to come.

"That's fine!" said one of the Residents in the crowd, whom Hazel determined to be one of the next contestants. "We can wait for a bit!"

"And there you have it! Now, our next competitor against Bruno is someone that's well known around here..."

Hazel left before the next match started. Whoever was announced for the next round, she had no idea. The loud cheering did tell her it was another one of the strong Residents. By the time the fight started, she was far enough away from the wrestling ring.

As she walked back, she thought about the observations she made. The party was going well. The speakers were playing just fine; the sounds of Christmas music in the park echoed all around. There was plenty of food to go around. And most of all, everyone was getting along, especially the herbivores with the carnivores.

Finally, after what seemed like years of trying to get the herbivores to accept their carnivorous neighbors, the wall was finally down, if not broken by a considerable amount. The natural rule of predator versus prey seemed to be muddling away thanks to this party. New friendships were being made with those that were the unlikeliest of friends. No one was backing away in fear or acting suspiciously. There were no acts of terror anywhere.

It was peaceful.

As she made her way back to the infirmary, Hazel managed to glance up at the sky. The bright orange of the sunset had quickly turned into the receding shades of blue. The LED lights, which were stationed in the party perimeter, flared to life, illuminating the darkness that was to come. Hazel had been so preoccupied with the party and checking on things that she had forgotten the time.

There were two things she needed to take care of. Both of which she worked on hours before the party. With the celebration in full swing, now was the time to carry them out.

Hazel made it back to the infirmary. The building was still just as crowded as ever. But with a difference. The stage that was propped up in the back shone with the lights in the balcony pointing at it like a spotlight. The projector screen before the landing was turned on, showing pictures of wintery landscapes and starry portraits in a slideshow. And though she could not see it, the flat screen that was propped up in front of the stage was also on.

The karaoke had been brought out.

But what surprised her the most was not the fact that the stage was active, it was who was on it. The song of a classic Christmas tune blared on the speakers around the building. Some of the guests looked over at the stage, amused by who was on it.

Swaying uncontrollably, red-faced, and singing in slurs…was Marcus. Standing right next to him as his duet partner, was Julie, who was uncomfortable with being next to a drunk partygoer like him. Her dress was a beautiful sparkling black, just like the night sky. In contrast, Marcus, who looked prepped up in his own way before the party, now looked a little disheveled due to his "party-mongering". It was like seeing two completely opposite people on stage. If Hazel had to guess, he was spending too much time near the alcoholic drink section.

Hazel, concerned with how the ending would turn out, started to squeeze through the crowd. The singing from the two singers broke out into the familiar tune of Baby It's Cold Outside. Judging by the tune, it was the version by Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé.

 _ **I really can't stay**_

 _ **Baby, it's cold outside**_

 _ **I gotta go away**_

 _ **Baby, it's cold outside**_

 _ **This evening has been**_

 _ **Been hoping that you'd drop in**_

 _ **So very nice**_

 _ **I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice**_

 _ **My mother will start to worry**_

 _ **Beautiful, what's your hurry?**_

 _ **My father will be pacing the floor**_

 _ **Listen to that fire place roar**_

 _ **So really, I'd better scurry**_

 _ **Beautiful, please don't hurry**_

 _ **But maybe just half a drink more**_

 _ **I'll put some records on while I pour**_

 _ **The neighbors might think**_

 _ **Baby, it's bad out there**_

 _ **Say what's in this drink?**_

 _ **No cabs to be had out there**_

 _ **I wish I knew how**_

 _ **Your eyes are like starlight now**_

 _ **To break this spell**_

 _ **I'll take your hat (well, thank you), your hair looks swell**_

 _ **I ought to say no, no, no, sir**_

 _ **Mind if I move in closer?**_

 _ **At least I'm gonna say that I tried**_

 _ **What's the sense of hurting my pride?**_

 _ **I really can't stay**_

 _ **Baby, don't hold out**_

 _ **Baby, it's cold outside**_

 _ **I simply must go**_

 _ **Baby, it's cold outside**_

 _ **The answer is "No"**_

 _ **But, baby, it's cold outside**_

 _ **(come on)**_

 _ **The welcome has been**_

 _ **How lucky that you dropped in**_

 _ **So nice and warm**_

 _ **Look out the window at that storm**_

 _ **My sister will be suspicious**_

 _ **Gosh, your lips look delicious**_

 _ **My brother will be there at the door**_

 _ **Waves upon a tropical shore**_

 _ **My maiden aunt's mind is vicious**_

 _ **Gosh, your lips are delicious**_

 _ **But maybe just a cigarette more**_

 _ **Never such a blizzard before**_

 _ **I gotta get home**_

 _ **Baby, you'll freeze out there**_

 _ **Say, lend me your comb**_

 _ **It's up to your knees out there**_

 _ **You've really been grand**_

 _ **I feel when I touch your hand**_

 _ **But don't you see**_

 _ **How can you do this thing to me?**_

 _ **There's bound to be talk tomorrow**_

 _ **Think of my life-long sorrow**_

 _ **At least there will be plenty implied**_

 _ **If you got pneumonia and died**_

 _ **I really can't stay**_

 _ **Get over that hold-out**_

 _ **Baby, it's cold**_

 _ **Baby, it's cold outside**_

The song ended in a smooth jazz tone. Applause broke out from the party guests. Though the Residents had no idea what was going on, they roared in delight at the performance out of respect and entertainment. The applause was then followed by the sounds of hard laughter, along with a sudden crash.

Hazel flinched at the sound. She pushed through the last two human employees before making it to the front. Looking at the stage, Hazel saw the drunken Marcus on his back. The microphone rolled helplessly on the wooden stage. Poor Julie, who seemed to be uncomfortable with her involvement with the hammered employee, looked at him with concern. Though, when Hazel looked a little closely, she could see some slight relief on her features.

A couple of men climbed up the stairs and grabbed onto Marcus' hands and legs. With a haul, they carried him off of the theater.

Hazel rolled her eyes at the man's drunkenness. She had never seen Marcus drunk before, but if there was something she knew about drinking excess alcohol, the man was about to get a serious hangover in the morning. The woman was about to get to Bob, who was working the karaoke station nearby, when her attention was pulled away by a call from a couple of women at the other side of the stage.

"Hazel! Just in time!"

She looked over and saw head vet Suzanne and her assistant Sarah climb up the wooden steps, waving at her. Both of them wore dazzling evening gowns and had their hairs up in up-dos. Hazel rarely saw Suzanne in a nice dress, mostly because she would only look elegant on special occasions. For tonight, she wore a satin red slit gown with black high-heeled shoes. Around her neck was a string of pearls. Sarah was dressed in a similar fashion, except her dress was bright green and had a silk green scarf around her arms. Her neck was adorned with a diamond charm necklace with matching long earrings.

Hazel, knowing about what was about to happen next, rushed to their side. This was one of the things she wished to take care of that night. While the party was being prepared, she was approached by Suzanne with a request to perform a song with them. Their lead singer, whom Hazel heard was named Patricia, caught a cold that night and was unable to sing. On a last-ditch effort, the head veterinarian went to the next person she thought would best fill in for her role.

Hazel refused at first, saying that she was a terrible singer. But this was Christmas, and they needed help. Besides, there was nothing wrong with singing Christmas songs. So, she agreed, and rehearsed to the point where there were no squeaks or off-key tones.

As she made her way to the stage, she made a quick stop over with Bob. She tapped on his shoulder, giving her his undivided attention. The woman then whispered into his ear, at least, as clear as she could over the party noise. The head keeper nodded in agreement to everything she told him.

When she was done, he pulled away and mouthed an "okay" to her. The audience around them was a bit noisy so she could barely hear him, but she got the gist.

Finally, she made it up the stage, next to her singing group.

"Wouldn't want to miss out on this," she gave her a smirk. Standing next to her was a recovered Julie, who held onto the microphone after fixing her dress for the performance.

Suzanne looked at Bob, who was in turn staring at her expectantly. When she gave him a thumb's up, the man nodded and pressed some buttons on his touchpad. Unbeknownst to the singers, the screen in the back portrayed the image of falling snow upon a winter valley at night.

The sound of a piano playing in broken chords filled the air. The guests in the party looked all around at the speakers, and then turned their attention to the stage. Their attention became undivided when they took in the sight of the four women. Hazel, while she felt uncertain at the time, had a feeling all eyes were more on her for some reason. Perhaps it was because neither of the guests, particularly the Residents, had ever seen her perform before.

Not that she minded the attention. But she was more worried about messing up her singing rather than all the eyes that fell on the stage.

As soon as the song transitioned to a rock rhythm, complete with the sounds of drums and electric guitars, the four women bent their knees along with the beat. Their bodies switched from side to side, along with their heads that flowed with the music. The main theme of the song played on an electric guitar, which made Hazel more excited because she knew the tune very well.

She took a deep breath and sang with her group the song Christmas Canon Rock by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

 _ **This night we pray**_

 _ **Our lives will show**_

 _ **This dream he had**_

 _ **Each child still knows**_

 _ **This night we pray**_

 _ **Our lives will show**_

 _ **This dream he had**_

 _ **Each child still knows**_

 _ **We are waiting**_

 _ **We have not forgotten**_

 _ **We are waiting**_

 _ **We have not forgotten**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

 _ **On this night, on this night**_

 _ **On this very Christmas night**_

As the musical interlude went on, Hazel took those few moments to observe her surroundings again. When the party was numerous before, it was even more packed now. All the party guests that attended the activities in the outer perimeter followed the sound of the music, and were now watching the performance. Even all her close friend group, who were scattered throughout the celebration, were gathered together outside, next to the Titanosaurs, the _Diplodocus_ , and the Supersaurs. Seeing them made her heat up. She took in a deep breath and sang the last note joyously.

When she ended, the electric guitar in the background went on to finish the song. The four women looked at each other, each breathing a sigh of relief of the stage burden that they had. Their responses were silent, but they gave each other congratulatory mentions on a job well done. And with the final note on the guitar, the whole building erupted in applause, while bellowing and cheering happened for the Residents. Hazel grinned when she saw her friends' enjoyment in the back. The dinosaurs roared in appreciation, the lemurs trilled and whooped, while Flia nodded proudly before sending out her own screeches to the sky.

Hazel looked to her singing group, and they in turn to her. They grasped hands, took a step back, and bowed.

"Well done!"

"Nice pipes girls!"

"Amazing singing!"

All the comments wafted in the air. They took in those words like sponge to water. The rehearsal may have been last minute and rushed, but everyone was right. They did well.

As soon as they bowed for the second and third time, Suzanne, Julie, and Sarah made their way off the stage to join the audience. Hazel momentarily left the microphone to grab a water bottle that Bob left on one of the steps per one of her requests. She opened it, and drank her fill. When she finished, she placed the bottle in front of the steps and made her way back to the microphone. With a clear of her throat, she began speaking.

Her next task had begun.

Before the party started, Hazel made it a priority to visit Nigel about a certain request. She explained to him what she went through and asked if she could be the one to give out the gratuity speech tonight. Hazel had learned a great deal about the cultures in Prehistoric Park, along with her familial ordeal. She imparted her revelation to the park in the form of a speech, and persuaded Nigel with their involvement in the true meaning of the holidays. The man accepted and confirmed her request. It took her a while to formulate said speech, but she finally got it done just a few minutes before she arrived at the infirmary.

"Attention everyone," she spoke. The audience quieted down at her call. "Thank you. How about that performance huh? Let's give a round of applause for Suzanne, Julie, and Sarah!"

"Hey, you too!" she heard one of the party guests, who turned out to be a lemur nearby the food table.

Hazel chuckled, her cheeks flaring up from the rush of embarrassment from the compliment. "Well I shouldn't get all the credit."

The warehouse erupted in applause anyway. Shrugging her shoulders, the woman took a bow anyway. Suzanne and her group all merely waved their hands and accepted hugs from those around them.

"Alright, settle down please," she said, silencing the audience.

"Now I'd like to say a few words before we continue with our festivities," Hazel began. "First, thank you all for coming to this party. We're so happy that you came along and we're learning a bunch of new things. After all, this party is dedicated to you."

The audience sounded off with awes and mentions of gratitude.

"We're so happy we got to celebrate this special day with you. Now before I get to why I'm here, let's give a round of applause to the people who made this party possible! Marcus and his team for setting up the electronics here!"

The building once again erupted in joyous chaos. Looking over to her left, she took note of Marcus, who was passed out at one of the tables after his drinking spree earlier. However, his team all waved and applauded for their efforts.

"Suzanne and her vets for the party planning!" she announced, taking a glance at the women in front of the stage. They were once again waving and getting hugs once more.

"Bob and his team for setting up all the activities!"

The man waved as well, along with his team. They too received hugs and congratulations.

"Nigel and his team for helping with the food!"

Hazel looked around and saw Nigel standing near the Bug tent. He and his team, who were gathered there for a conversation with the insects, all waved as well.

"And of course, everyone else for helping to make this day possible!" Hazel proclaimed. The warehouse exploded with cheer once more.

Mere moments passed, and the place became quiet again when she requested their silence.

"Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all. Now, before we resume in our merriment and fun, I've got a few things to say," she said. Her thoughts went through her mind and the words of her speech came forward.

"Many of you already know this, but some of you don't. This place, Prehistoric Park, wasn't always what it is now. To most you, it was once a home, where many would flock to after a long journey and start a family; a Nesting Ground. Some of you know of it as a place where it's always green and food is aplenty. Well, to us humans, Prehistoric Park started off as an idea. My father, Jacob Veran, along with his colleague, Nigel Marven," she made a quick wave at him, who then returned the gesture. "Had one dream; to create a sanctuary where great beings of the past that were rescued from danger...could start over. My father, along with Nigel, made the Time Poles that we now use to travel through time. My father...never lived to see the completion of Prehistoric Park."

Grief and sorrow met her like old friends. The party guests all felt the sadness that momentarily came upon her, and they could not help but feel sorrow as well. Though some of them knew nothing of the history of the park, as well as Hazel's father, they could sense that this was important to Hazel. No child should ever have to be without a father. And with what Hazel went through, she was a victim to fate.

But it was one that she always moved forward on, but looked back to just to remember the good times.

"When I first came here, I already completed my high school degree. Nigel took me in as his protege and gave me a home here at Prehistoric Park. Now, when he told me what he and my father were working on, I didn't believe it at first...until I first step foot here. The first Resident I met was none other than Yin, who as you already know, is the leading lady of the Titanosaurs here," she looked over at the sauropods in the back. They all laughed and raised their necks in greeting. "Yeah I see you guys. It may be dark outside, but I can still see you."

Yin, who had been in the very front and was clearly noticeable with the prominent red streak on her snout, replied in amusement. "I remember that day, Hazel."

"Then the second Resident I met was none other than Irwin," she mentioned. Her gaze fell onto the _Deinosuchus_ that was lazily lounging at the right corner of the doorway. A reptilian eye snapped open, analyzing the human that called him.

Though it looked like he was asleep when she was talking, Hazel took the hint that he was listening the whole time. For as long as she knew the crocodilian, Irwin is a pretty good listener.

"I still remember that day, ya little Sheila," he rumbled with laughter, which sounded menacing to the Residents and employees that did not know him very well. "You nearly took away my hearing with that screaming of yours!"

Everyone in the warehouse burst into laughter. All of them imagined a poor Hazel screaming at the top of her lungs, burning away at the reptile's non-existent ears. Even Hazel found that amusing and laughed as well.

"Oh yes...it was quite a day," she recovered, wiping away a tear. Soon, the warehouse quieted down again. "I even got to meet Ornith and her troupe too, before I met everyone else. The memories of that day are ones that I've treasured."

The woman took one quick glance at all the _Ornithomimus_ in the building, then the other Residents that she met on the first day. Not all of them were present. The rest of them, she assumed to be somewhere outside. Those that were there nodded in acknowledgement of that memory.

"Years passed, I learned much about this place, I made many new friends, I had my own adventures, I heard about diverse cultures, and I learned about many life lessons. But I think it's safe to say...that we all gained those things as well, along with something much more precious," she imparted with some emotion. "Now before I get to what I mean by that, first I'd like all of you to look at the person, or Resident, to your left."

Everyone did as they were told. People looked in that direction to see the person next to them. Residents looked over to see other Residents. Or, in the case of the majority, people and Residents looked at each other. A multitude of reactions arose, ranging from waving, quick hellos, or nervous shifting in the case of herbivores with the carnivores.

"Now look to your right."

Again, the did what they were told. The same reactions arose. Hazel even heard laughter as a group of herd members greeted some _Plateosaurus_ and _Ornithomimus_ that were joining in the meeting.

"Now look back."

Once again, the party guests obeyed her. The looking around lasted for another moment before she continued her speech.

"What did you see?" she rhetorically asked. "A lot of different individuals, right? Well, you guys may have a list of the many differences you see, but to me, that's not what I see."

Confusion arose as the words of the young human whirled in their minds. What could she see that they could not? It was easy to tell how different an individual was by their appearance or personality.

"A few months ago, Nigel and I discovered that this valley was founded by a dinosaur named Old Gotama, who was the leader of a herd," said Hazel, recalling the time she and Nigel found the Iguanodon skeleton in the Nesting Grounds in the distant past. "He and his herd claimed this land as their own and would always go here every year in their migrations. Generations passed, this place saw its ups and downs, but there was one thing that was always constant. Everyone was welcome here. When we visited the grove of Old Gotama, we discovered that the Nesting Grounds, as it was called then and still is now, was in the same site as Prehistoric Park, which we're all standing in now. Now, this is a different time, but I think it's safe to say that Old Gotama's message still applies now. This valley is a haven; it withstood the devastating blast of a Fireball, twice even, and the test of time. This place is a sanctuary, where everyone is welcome."

"This brings me back to what I mentioned earlier," she spread her arms apart as a symbol of bringing everyone in. "Look at us; we're a culmination of beings from different plots of time. We all look different, we eat different things, and we were raised in different worlds. But our differences don't matter. We walk on the same earth. We breathe the same air. We run...or if you have wings, fly, under the same sky. We drink the same water. The list goes on. Over the years, something's happened to all of us. First, we were just there, we didn't know each other. Then, we got closer, creating bonds of friendship. Now, those bonds evolved into something greater...we became a family."

Murmurs broke out at the mention of such an idea. Hazel could not hear whether they were good or not, but judging by the nods and the smiles that she was seeing, along with some of the individuals being quiet, a clear majority of the guests agreed with her. She was glad that the speech was going well, though she felt a little odd saying all this. She felt like a priest giving a sermon.

"Now some of you may think of this as crazy, but hear me out," the young employee reasoned. "When you got injured or sick, someone came to help you...right? Someone here in the valley?"

Agreeable reactions, though some hesitant, rang out.

"When you were feeling troubled, someone here helped you...didn't they?"

Again, sounds of agreement went off.

"Or when you had a simple question," she raised a hand to quiet them. "Someone came to you? Now, ask yourself this, and you don't need to blurt out the answer...those that came to help you, how many times was it that they were a different species?"

Silence remained. No words escaped their lips, beaks, mandibles, or maws. However, she could tell they listened intently. The lack of objections and negative reactions were a good indication.

"There's a saying among us humans. 'Don't judge a book by its cover'. Or, to make it so that we're all on the same level, 'don't judge a leaf by its cover'. It wasn't until recently that I discovered that there were other cultures that had other celebrations around this time. No matter what it was, they all had one theme; unity. Being with your comrades and your loved ones. Yesterday, I nearly lost sight of that message. But with the help of my friends here," she looked around at all the party guests. Her eyes then fell upon the friends that she considered part of her family. They made eye contact for what seemed to be several seconds. One look at them and she could see how happy they were to have met her, along with all the times they treasured. The friendships they made were truly special, and Hazel was a part of their world as well. "I took that message to heart."

The thoughts of the previous day to now ran fresh in her mind; from the time she spent with explaining Christmas to her friends, to her argument with her mother, learning about the other holiday cultures in the park, the fight she had with Flia, her talk with Diablo, the reconciliation with them, and finally this moment. Christmas was a holiday where one celebrates being a part of a family, whether it be with relatives or friends. No one should be left alone. And you did not have to be the same species to celebrate a holiday either. Hazel knew that, and she wanted everyone else to know.

"Christmas, or in this case any holiday at this time, has several meanings. Whatever meaning you take to heart, there is one underlying message; being with the ones you care about. The valley here welcomes all, meaning that everyone here is part of one big family. It doesn't matter if you eat plants, meat, bugs, or all of the above. It certainly doesn't matter where you're from, or who you are. What matters is what's inside. And it's those qualities that can bring everyone together."

She saw in everyone's eyes, a twinkle of emotion. She saw them look at each other, not uncomfortably, but with certainty and acceptance. This included the carnivores as well, who viewed their neighbors with the same acceptance that the others had trouble accepting.

Hazel's eyes became wet. Small tears began to form in her eyes. This was a time to celebrate being together…as a family. And right now, she was with her family in this place. A huge, multi-varied family.

"So, what do I see right now?" she proclaimed with confidence. "I see...an extended family, one that I am very proud to be a part of."

The woman then turned her eyes over to a certain Terror Bird that stood vigil next to his…concoctions on the severed car doors. The innocent look in his eyes hid all traces of a ferocious carnivore.

"Espantos! Happy Jubie Day!" she greeted him.

Espantos gasped and jumped in excitement, alarming the guests that were around him a little. "Happy Jubie Day to you too Hazelnut!"

Hazel then looked over at the _Smilodons_ , who were on the other corner of the doorway. The cubs, Tai and Sable, stood present in front of the adults that they did not know are their real parents. Hazel felt saddened knowing that they were being kept in the dark from the truth, but she had high hopes that in time, they will learn. For now, this was a time to celebrate. "Sabrina, Cesar, Tai, and Sable, Happy Hunter's Bounty!"

"And to you as well, Little Cub," Sabrina returned the greeting and roared joyously. She was soon joined by her mate and the cubs in the triumphant roar.

The woman switched her attention to the sauropods in the back. They too waited expectantly for what she was about to say. Her words fumbled when she tried to decipher what sort of holiday they celebrated. "Yin, Charles, Woodstock, Clearwater, and the rest of your group there! Happy...um...Herd Formation Day! Or whatever you call it!"

Thankfully, the sauropods took her mistake in stride. They bellowed to the sky, proclaiming their gratitude regarding their holiday.

"Plio, Yar, and the rest of the lemur clan! Happy Maris Day!"

The lemurs around the party, including Plio, Yar, and family in the back, whooped and trilled in reply.

"My friends from the valley!" she hollered over the ever-increasing sounds of joy from the Residents. Her eyes fell on the dinosaurs that lived in the large stretch of land that were present, as well as her own friends, who silently waited for her. "And along with the rest of the herd that's present! Happy Gotam's Day!"

"Happy Gotam's Day to you too!" Aladar hollered.

Hazel gave him a finger salute along with a warm grin. The Residents from the valley all had the sense to hold their cheering until she was finished, something she was equally grateful for. They did all respond with the returning greeting and their own sounds of agreement. Had they bellowed on, Hazel would not be able to properly greet the others.

As she looked on in the back, she noticed a faint shade of green pass by behind some of the herd members. Thought it was too dark to see, she could tell that it was a Resident that walked on all fours. And there was only one Resident with a bright green hide that walked like that in the valley.

The answer came to her when she saw Nero peer through one of the spaces between Bruno and his Tribe. Hazel saw the scowl he bore, his scarred eye boring into her soul. She tensed up a little, thinking that he was about to object to something she did that upset him.

Then, she saw him soften. He closed his eyes and gave her a respected nod before moving away from the party. Hazel let out a shaky breath. Nero acknowledged her greeting she gave? Now that was unheard of. Whatever his reason for doing that was, she had no idea. All she did know was it was out of respect. Hazel accepted his silent message and continued on.

"As for Theo and Ellie, Thena and Oddie with their group, Bruno and your Tribe, and Ornith and your troupe, as well as any other Resident who has a holiday around this time," she called out to the other Residents in the building. "I don't know what your holidays are called, but Happy Holidays!"

They cheered and bellowed in joy. The walls of the building trembled in the wake of happy prehistoric beings. Thankfully, the building was sturdy, meaning it would take a lot more than concentrated roaring to bring it down.

"And everyone else here in this party!" Hazel yelled in proclamation. The other Residents quieted down when she waved her hands. They wanted to hear her say what she had to say. All the employees' smiles shown when she referred to them all. "Happy Hanukah! Happy Kwanza! AND MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" yelled most of the audience. The rest of them either greeted Happy Hanukah and/or Happy Kwanza, if they did not celebrate Christmas.

Hazel watched as the guests all greeted each other their respective holidays, as well as embrace each other in the new miracle they felt. Her insides flared up in warmth, and her mind rolled in satisfaction. Everyone was now brought closer together than ever. This night, nobody cared about who or what they were. All they cared about was the new sense of belonging that radiated in the whole valley. Now, they felt like something bigger. Now…they felt like a family. Hazel hoped that this feeling will last.

But, she also knew that getting everyone to accept each other would take a while. Things like this require time. The party only served as a step in the right direction. Hazel prayed for the day when suspicion and fear in the valley would fade away into memory.

She then looked over at Bob, who finished with greeting his fellow employees in the spirit of the holidays. She whistled, getting his attention. She nodded at his control box and gave him a thumb's up. On cue, he pressed a few buttons, and a new song played.

Rather than hearing an upbeat tune like Baby It's Cold Outside or a rock swinging tune like Christmas Canon Rock, a mellow piano accompanied by strings played. Hazel took a quick glance around her and saw the spotlight turn from the normal bright yellow to a soft blue and white, courtesy of Bob's handiwork. The sound of the music quieted the employees, which caused the other Residents to quiet down when they saw their human neighbors become silent.

All of them looked on at the woman who bore a solemn face. Unbeknownst to the rest of the audience, except for Bob and Nigel, who knew of her request, she planned this. Though most of the guests were unfamiliar with the culture this song came from, she hoped that its message would reach their hearts.

Hazel took a deep breath and began to sing Josh Groban's O Holy Night.

 _ **O holy night!**_

 _ **The stars are brightly shining**_

 _ **It is the night**_

 _ **Of the dear Savior's birth!**_

 _ **Long lay the world in sin and error pining**_

 _ **Till he appear'd and the soul felt His worth**_

 _ **A thrill of hope**_

 _ **The weary world rejoices**_

 _ **For yonder breaks**_

 _ **A new and glorious morn!**_

 _ **Fall on your knees**_

 _ **Oh hear the angel voices**_

 _ **Oh night divine**_

 _ **Oh night when Christ was born**_

 _ **Oh night divine, oh night, oh night divine**_

 _ **Chains shall He break**_

 _ **For the slave is our brother**_

 _ **And in His name all oppression shall cease**_

 _ **Sweet hymns of joy**_

 _ **In grateful chorus raise we**_

 _ **Let all within us praise His holy name**_

 _ **Christ is the Lord, let ever ever praise Thee**_

 _ **Noël, Noël**_

 _ **Oh night, Oh night divine**_

 _ **Noël, Noël**_

 _ **Oh night, Oh night divine**_

 _ **Noël, Noël**_

 _ **Oh night, oh night divine**_

The note she ended on took longer than expected. In truth, she was running out of breath by the time she hit seven seconds in. But this was karaoke, meaning it did not matter if she sang exactly like the one who sang this song. Hazel imparted some vibrato into the note, before ending softly. And with her end, came the end of the song.

As she took in a breath to recover, the whole building went off. Clapping, cheering, bellowing, and roaring permeated the atmosphere. Hazel smiled, glad that not only did she sing well enough to please everyone, but also, her message was brought across. The Asian bowed with her hands spread apart and one foot back, looking like a bird spreading its wings in respect.

When she brought herself back up, the comments from her friends from the back reached her ears.

"Whoo hoo! Well done Hazel!" Flia hollered.

"Nice voice you got there!" she heard the obnoxious voice of Zini.

"Encore! Encore!" Baylene rumbled over some of the crowd.

"Way to go Hazel!" Aladar cheered on.

"Again, again, AGAIN!" she saw Talin jump in excitement. His friends, along with his siblings, agreed as well.

Hazel bowed thrice more. Except, unlike the first time, she did so in different directions towards the audience. So, this was what singers went through when they performed in front of a large audience. Hazel never went through proper singing training, but the feeling of accomplishment excited her to no end.

The cheering went on for another minute. By the time things quieted down, the party guests resumed what they were doing before Hazel went on to perform with Suzanne, Julie, and Sarah.

Just then, before she could gesture Bob to allow the next singer to go on, as well as allow the party to resume, Eema made a loud bellow. Everyone in the party quieted down and turned their attention to the elder _Styracosaurus_. Hazel looked over at her, and saw her friend group look at the old woman in worry.

"Hey everyone! As much as I like all this merriment, I just want to let you all know the Night Flowers are about to bloom! So, if you want to see this spectacle, make your way over to our side of the valley!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Eema said that the Night Flowers were blooming, Hazel expected the whole valley to light up in pretty lights. Everyone stormed out of the building and rampaged towards the Valley Plains. The only ones who were left behind were Ben and the other bugs, who were still in the company of some of the keepers who remained behind to keep them company. Nobody was hurt, due to all of the giant Residents watching their footing. Neither of them wanted to hurt the neighbors they now saw in a newer light.

Hazel had hurried down the stage to meet her friends, who waited for her outside the building. Minding the slower members of their group, specifically Baylene, Eema, and Url, they hurried as best as they could to the Valley Plains border. The woman, who rode on Aladar's back with Flia, was reminded of a similar time when the Valley herd went into a frenzy as a group towards a specific location.

It was back when she was on her first solo mission. It was sometime after she encountered the herd, her friends, Bruton…and Kron. They traveled for days through a harsh desert, where they had no resources and little rest. By the time they made it out of the sandy dunes, they arrived at a lake, where they could relish in the lifegiving waters in the barren wasteland.

Unfortunately, that lake dried up long ago. There was no water around, not even a small puddle. Kron pushed the herd on despite the grim situation. Thanks to the combined efforts of Aladar, Zini, Baylene, and herself, they were able to find water under the dirt.

This time, the rampage was in a more positive view. This was no desert, where anyone could die from the harsh sunlight or lack of food and water. This valley was a paradise. And it surely was not a scorching hot pan either.

By the time they made it to the border, nearly everyone in the party had lined up on the hills that were there. There were plenty of hills around, meaning there was more space to be shared. Those that did not find a place at the top of the hills settled for the slopes leading down to the Valley Plains, where they got a good view of the valley entirety.

Hazel stood with her friends on one of the hills. She looked around, desperately looking for any sign of lights in the forests.

She found none, but there was one thing that was prominent. The smell of the flowers she picked up earlier was stronger than before.

"I don't get it," Hazel said, looking around at her friends. "I don't see any lights. Are you sure the flowers are about to bloom?"

"Positive, child," Eema giggled. "Just wait a bit. It'll come. You can tell it's about to start by the smell in the air."

The _Styracosaurus_ inhaled and sighed sweetly. "Yup. They're about ready."

She then looked up at the sky. The old woman laughed once again, startling the young human a bit. "Oh here it comes! Get ready!"

Hazel looked up at the sky, and then over at the moon. The sky, which was becoming clearer by the minute, started to illuminate due to the light of the moon. The shining circle that was hidden behind those clouds peeked through the fluffy masses.

Its light rays struck the valley once, which then spread out as the clouds moved away. Soon, it was fully revealed.

It was then that the forests burst to life. Sparkling lights blinked on when the moon shone. The lights twinkled in the night like tiny stars that fell from the sky.

Everyone exclaimed in wonder at the sight. Hazel even felt enamored by the new phenomenon. These were definitely not fireflies, nor were they people who wandered into the sanctuary with torches. Never in the park's history of running did it experience any outside intrusion from the public. This was entirely new. It was like being in the middle of a Christmas light show, where all of the trees had their lights turned on. But it would take a lot of energy to produce a large effect like this, and the park's budget did have its limits.

Hazel did not know this, but there was a reason to this light effect. The flowers, when bloomed, already had some dew on them. When the moon's light touched them, the light refracted from the droplets, creating a shining effect. And considering these were flowers that were only active at night, they looked more like stars than plants.

"Wow!" Hazel blurted. She looked around the forests, seeing that the whole valley was surrounded by these twinkling lights. "Incredible!"

"Hehe," giggled Eema. "See? I told you."

"I never thought these lights were actually flowers. This is amazing!"

"I knew you'd be impressed," said Neera, who approached Hazel from behind. "This happens every year."

"I've lived in this valley for many years and I'm still awestruck by this. It's like the night above has been brought down to us," said Flia.

Aladar, who had appeared next to Neera, gave her a gentle nudge on the snout. The female alpha returned the gesture, and the two of them craned their necks in their own embrace. Their children surrounded them, rubbing their heads against their parents' legs in affection.

Everyone else, who had seen the signs of warm affection, joined in as well. Baylene craned her neck around, them, putting them into a protective encirclement. Eema and Url joined in next to Neera, lending their warmth into the group. Plio, Aya, Yar, Zini, and Suri came in, going on top of the blue-green Iguanodon with a few nimble hops before hugging him all over. Flia joined in by continuing where Baylene could not reach, adding her wings into the protective circle.

The last to join in was Hazel. Not wanting to miss out on this, she squeezed through her circle of friends until she got to the middle. None of them minded her intrusion. In fact, they welcomed it.

The human smiled and embraced in the warmth of her prehistoric family.

"Happy Gotam's Day everyone," the male alpha started.

"Happy Gotam's Day!" they all replied.

"Happy Maris Day!" Plio went next, bringing the lemur holiday in.

"Happy Maris Day!"

"And Merry Christmas," Hazel said, the last to join in.

"Merry Christmas!" said all her friends in unison.

A moment later, they all broke apart. Hazel watched as all of her friends bellowed to the sky, lending their voices into the joyous night. The sonorous resonance of the _Iguanodons_ , the screeching of a _Pteranodon_ , the deep rumbling of a giant _Brachiosaurus_ , the raspy bellow of a _Styracosaurus_ , the barks of an Ankylosaur, as well as the trilling of a small group of lemurs went off in symphony. Hazel covered her ears for a moment from the unexpected calls.

Soon, the small group was joined by everyone else that lived in the valley, save for the humans. All of the Residents contributed in the night symphony, showing their appreciation for this happy holiday. They were cries of joy and of unity.

The park sang in the night as a family.

As they went on with their primitive song, Hazel could have sworn she heard a roar in another part of the valley. Listening closely, she thought it sounded vaguely familiar. After moments of deducing the cause, she realized the identity of the mysterious addition.

And she could not help but smile happily.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Diablo was having a peaceful night. The sounds of merriment from the party the humans were hosting was indeed an annoyance, but he learned to filter things out the whole time he lived in this valley. Partaking in such revelry was not in his agenda, and he made it clear to that blasted avian imbecile that he had no interest in attending the party. Espantos tried and tried to get him to participate, but he sent the bird scurrying with a roar. Not that it scared him, he just got the message.

He drifted off to sleep before the sun went down. If he was going to ignore the party activities, he might as well sleep the night away. His plan was working…until the whole park started roaring.

Diablo jerked himself awake. The sonorous calls echoed like an endless alarm. He turned his head in the direction of the valley. His face turned into one of disgust. The trees near him, as well as around the sanctuary, twinkled with mysterious lights. The flowery smell, which he learned to ignore, was stronger than before. His lungs choked at the scent of the pretty plants.

"Ugh, so everyone in this forsaken place is celebrating. All for typical revelries?" he growled in repugnance.

"Pathetic…"

He faced forward and placed his head on the ground. But before he was about to shut his eyes, he saw something wrapped under a large tarp before him. A mound, about half as big as he was, stood still in front of the Carnotaur. Something that resembled a leaf, except that it was in a rectangular fashion with wings and two tails, lay atop the mound.

Diablo had seen a lot of things in life. But seeing something like this before him was a surprise. It was normal for employees to drop off his food before they went on their merry way. But a mound like this? Now what were they planning?

Curiously, he approached it. The horned dinosaur gave it a couple of sniffs before tearing the tarp apart. When the large cloth was thrown away, his eyes widened at what was hidden underneath. It was a mound of mixed raw meats; pork, chicken, turkey, and a few cow carcasses.

Normally, he would have at least two cow carcasses per meal. Or, he would be given a few whole poultries or pork.

But this mound? Being up to his knees? This was a feast!

He snorted at this metaphorical insult. "That human brat…taking pity on me. No doubt this is her doing."

Diablo was about to smash the mound away until a thought struck him. He looked up at the sky, where all the stars shined down on him. Something inside the giant carnivore twanged, like a piece of rope snapped from some great weight. The predator could not explain it, but it was just there. He felt this feeling before, when something in his mind would tell him it was something important. Usually, it was on a time or thought.

The day! What was today? It was the day when those blasted Residents and humans had their celebration. But what else is it? What…

He gasped. Of course, …how could he forget about today. Today was the Feast of Tornac. He felt it in his gut all along. He knew it was coming. But his pain and sorrow over his past blocked him from rational thinking.

But he had no one to celebrate it with. This was the first time in a long time that he celebrated the feast alone.

Diablo closed his eyes, blocking the mad tears that would stream down. He hated crying. It made him look weak. But thinking of his dead mate next to him on this day pained him.

"Xenaya…I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," he said to the heavens. "I wish you were here with me. But since you can't lend your strength to our ancestors here, then I'll do so for you. TAKE MY VOICE AND MAKE IT YOURS!"

And with that said, he roared. He roared so fervently to the sky, hoping that his mate was watching out for him, and getting his message. Diablo had no idea that he was also answering the pull of unity inside himself, a message that the whole valley was giving him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rascal groaned. One minute, he was sleeping soundly. And the next? He was tossing and turning in his self-made sleeping pile.

The _Troodon_ had no interest in parties, including those that involved humans and everyone else in the valley. It was too…happy…for his taste. Sure, he could go out and join, but he would only do so to cause some trouble. But that would be a problem since the party would have giant carnivores that would eat him for a snack if he tried.

Besides, he didn't have any holiday. His kind never had any.

Earlier that day, that annoying Terror Bird came by his place with an invitation to the party. He had to tell him at least a hundred times he had no interest in going. But Espantos, being as obnoxious as he was, kept on being…persuasive.

Rascal had to send him running by throwing him part of his lunch as a bargain. That was enough to convince Espantos. The Terror Bird was sad he was not going to attend, but went along his merry way with a slab of steak in his mouth.

The rest of the night went well…until he started hearing roars from the other side of the valley.

"Ugh! Come on you dung-bags! Keep it down!" he screeched.

He then slammed his claws onto his head, blocking his ears from the joyous cheer echoing. Worse yet, he felt something within tug. He could not explain it, but it felt like something wanted to come out, like it was about to blow if he did not go along with its demand.

Rascal knew this feeling. He felt it once before, when the whole valley was being noisy weeks ago. The leaf eaters in the valley started it, and they tried to get him into it.

"Oh for the love of…"

He let out a raspy roar, before he started sending as many insults as he could think of to the noisemakers in the valley.

"YOU PIECES OF CRAP! SHUT UP! I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hazel took in the beautiful moment. Being surrounded by her friends, creatures that survived extinction and were vocalizing merrily, was a happy thought indeed. They were all here, celebrating the holidays that brings everyone together. The party was a success. Everyone was brought together closer than before.

All was well…

Then, a thought struck her. She frowned when she thought of the one other thing that remained unresolved. Her friends here had each other and their families. They did not have any troubles with their families nor each other. There were no problems.

Yet, she was the only one where she was detached from her mother. Hazel did not acknowledge her mother's plea to be with her for Christmas. All she thought of was the pain she felt over the years. Her stubbornness kept the flame of hate burning. Now, after what she went through the past couple days, that flame was reduced to cinders.

Now she felt cold inside. Almost…empty. Something was missing.

Hazel looked up at the stars, thinking about what she could do to fix this. It was not Christmas yet, but it was coming soon. The holidays were not only a time for merriment, but also a time for forgiveness. If her friends forgave her for her actions in the past, then what about her own family?

Hazel had to try. And there was only one way to do it.

 _ **Marc: Wow! That was long!**_

 _ **Darksage: Yeah, but we did it! Party was a success! And we managed to get some of their food too.**_

 _ **Marc: You mean, you did.**_

 _ **Darksage: What? They were already off in the Valley Plains when I got the food. I just snapped my fingers and we got them. They won't notice a few parts of their buffet missing.**_

 _ **Marc: Anyway, just a couple of things to mention. The blooming of the Night Flowers was inspired by The Land Before Time: Journey Through the Mists. We decided to borrow that idea of a flower that blooms at night and apply it for this story. The only difference was that the moon's rays would reflect on the dew on the petals, making them "sparkle".**_

 _ **Darksage: Oh yeah, we spent some time with coming up for activities for the Residents. We had to adjust a few details on the games a bit to accommodate the number and size of the dinosaurs/large mammals. As for the wrestling match, we based that off of a mixture of sumo wrestling, kick-boxing, and regular boxing.**_

 _ **Darksage: Also, more background on Diablo! If you're wondering how his mate's name is pronounced, it's Zen-eye-ah. In his language, it means "female warrior". As for Hazel's speech, we kind of made her a bit preachy. Sorry about that, but it was necessary for the story. But her speech was beautiful!**_

 _ **Marc: Sagey here slaved over the speech for a while.**_

 _ **Darksage: Over an hour!**_

 _ **Marc: Anyway, we've got one more chapter after this one. Expect it to come in shortly.**_

 _ **Darksage: See you then!**_


	5. Peace on Earth

_**This is it! The last stretch! Nothing really much to say except for the usual disclaimers. We don't own Prehistoric Park, Disney's Dinosaur, Dinosaur Revolution, or Walking with Dinosaurs. We also don't own the songs.**_

Sarasota, Florida

December 24

10:32 PM…

"Hanna, be a dear and get the door for me, please?"

"Okay Mom."

The sound of jingling keys along with footsteps on the front porch betrayed the presence of the inhabitants of the Veran household. Mere moments later, a young woman at 16 years came in with her mother. Both of whom were exhausted from walking so much, and their hands were filled with a multitude of grocery bags. They were just returning from getting groceries for their Christmas dinner tonight…a dinner for only two.

"You got all the bags?"

"Yes Mom…I'm holding everything," said the young Veran. "My hands are hurting too."

"Then just put them next to the kitchen," Beth Silva told her.

Hanna, doing as her mother told her, made her way to the kitchen. The kitchen was in a hexagonal fashion, having the dining room attached next door. A girl in her teenage years, she really loved to show some class in her wear. Winter was a time to wear coats and thick pants. But Florida was not in range of the cold weather. Instead, she wore skinny jeans with open-toed sandals and a loose, flowery blouse. Her long black hair was braided, resting on her shoulder before it trailed down. She had an athletic build, being a prodigy when it comes to archery. In fact, she won her fifth gold medal just last year.

Her mother, Beth Silva, was a typical mother. Though, she would be considered the over protective type to other people. Like her daughter, Beth fancied wearing classy clothes. Her beige capris went passed her knees. Her blouse was a magenta, short-sleeved cold shoulder with large interlocking chains as the straps. And her hair, though having strands of gray on some parts, was tied back with a claw clip. Beth did not participate in any sports, but she did show a bit of an athletic build from exercising on her free time.

"Hey I need to drop something off in my room. I'll be right back," Hanna said.

"Don't be long. I need some help with the cooking."

Hanna shrugged. This night was going to be a long one. But it was going to be worth it. She arrived back in this house a couple days ago after years away from it. Unlike her older sister, Hazel, Hanna learned to forgive her mother. She was more understanding of her position after all. By the time they met at the airport, they made up within five minutes.

Her mother, being a busy woman always on business trips, was never home. When they both arrived from the airport, they found the house to be dusty and having some cobwebs on the ceiling.

Needless to say, the first thing they did after coming home was cleaning…which took a whole day to do so.

Rounding the corner of the kitchen, she was faced with the living room; a large-ceilinged abode complete with rococo-esque furniture and a large, flat-screen TV. The Christmas tree they erected and decorated stood vigil atop one of the long tables. The balls and streamers were all silver and gold, and were complimented by golden ribbons that dotted the faux vegetation. A plastic, yet beautiful, angel stood at the top of the tree, ever watching its live companions below. The mantle was decorated by a long wreath, and hanging from it were three red, velvet stockings. One was for Hanna, the other for Beth, and the last…was for Hazel.

Hanna frowned. When she heard her sister was not coming for the holidays, she felt a pang of sadness inside. After all these years, she did not let up in blocking her family. Hanna may have had days where she contacted her sibling, but on some days, she would leave abruptly following an apology due to "business to attend to". Hanna did see her sister graduate college, but she never got a full answer on what she was doing with her education. Hazel never told her what her job was, but she did mention that she worked with animals. Perhaps she was a biologist of some sort.

Her eyes fell onto the leather couches before her. These were the couches where she sat with her family when they were not broken. This was the place where they could watch the fireplace during late winter nights. This was the place where they would watch movies together. They did all sorts of things in this room.

And now they stood empty…

Hanna gasped. She staggered back at the figure that sat on one of the couches. The figure looked at her. Her eyes were a little red from crying. She wore a black, elegant spaghetti strap with gold chains connecting the straps along with long denim shorts. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail. The woman's eyes were dark brown, just like her own. One look at this individual and they would think she was her mother, who had gone through some plastic surgery. But no, that was not the case.

Sitting on the couch, in front of a mountain of present she brought with her, was her sister Hazel.

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"Hey Hanna," she gave her an awkward smile.

"Uh…uh…" the younger sibling stammered.

"Um, it's good to see you," the 20 year old said, trying to start up a conversation.

Unknown to her sister, Hazel had arrived at the house about an hour ago. The last two days had been busy for her, ranging from doing some mad shopping in the airports she stopped at to taking the scheduled flight that she was almost late for. The party still went on passed midnight, but Hazel had a flight to catch at 3 AM. She promptly left the valley after telling her friends her plans, and that she would return in a few days. They bid her goodbye and safe travels, along with their hopes on her safe return. Hazel had to rush to Johannesburg to catch her flight to Atlanta, Georgia, courtesy of the "taxi" service hosted by Bob, who was joined by Suzanne and Nigel. She arrived in Atlanta by 8 PM on Christmas Eve, and then took a connecting flight to Sarasota, arriving at 9 PM.

It was a long trip, but it was worth it if she was going to fix things.

Right when she was about to talk more, the conversation became interrupted with the approach of the other resident in the household.

"Alright, groceries have been put away. Now I'm going to take a quick shower before-," Beth gawked, her sentence cut short when her eyes met her eldest child sitting on the couch.

Hazel stood up, her hands clasped behind her back. Her features were schooled to the point that she appeared serious. "Hey Mom."

She glanced over at the presents in a shifting manner. No words escaped her mouth. The only things that came out were stammers and gibberish. It had been a long time since the two of them were together. And being in her presence now, after so many years of being apart, was an odd feeling.

"I uh…organized the presents. The ones I brought for you are mixed in there," she nervously mentioned.

Neither sister nor mother said a word to her. They both stood there, gawking silently. Hazel let out a shaky breath. She came here for a reason. Might as well get it done now.

"Listen Mom," her attention went to her mother. "About what I said on the phone…and the other times as well…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for pushing you away. I was so caught up in the past that I was too stubborn to think about…why you did what you did. I kept thinking you abandoned me and Hanna. I won't lie when I say I was hurt. I missed you Mom. I was arrogant, and I wasn't thinking straight before. But, I gave it some thought and I realized what you did was for me and Hanna. I should have seen it sooner, rather than focusing what was right in front of my nose."

Beth marched up to Hazel. The young woman felt her insides tighten. She did her best to stand firm for her. Her mother looked serious, and she prepared for the worst.

"I know it may be too late to apologize, but I hope you can forgive-"

Suddenly, the unexpected happened. Beth wrapped her arms around her eldest daughter and pulled her into an embrace. The mother placed her face onto Hazel's shoulder, who was only a few inches shorter than her.

"I missed you so much…" Beth sobbed into her daughter's shoulder.

Hazel said nothing as her mother let all of her emotions loose. She too felt the same way, but she did not feel like saying it. What she was doing now was enough. After all these years, they were together again. Words do not have to be present to show feelings. All Hazel did was hug her in return and stroke her back.

Hanna too cried when she saw her mother and sister embrace. She rushed to them and joined them. The broken family, torn by grief and anger, was mended.

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Christmas Morning…

Hazel rushed down the stairs of her childhood home. The pounding of muffled footsteps on carpet echoed in the halls. Her satin, dark blue nightgown waved as she hurried to the living room. Hazel did not think to get rid of the knots and tangles in her hair either; she just let her messy her freely fly for the morning. As soon as her alarm clock on her phone sounded off at 7:00 AM, she rocketed out of her room.

Last night was quite an emotional, yet happy one. Soon after she made up with her mother, the three women engaged in preparation for their Christmas Eve dinner. Christmas music played in the air as each of them cut vegetables, broiled the meat, baked the fish, much to Hanna's disgust since she was not into seafood, and decorated the pastries. Their dinner was quite a feast that night. The whole dinner table was lined with food that could feed a large family, even though there were only three of them.

Dinner that night was filled with conversation. Her mother, Beth, asked each of her daughters about what had transpired with them during her absence. Hanna, who was still in high school, was looking for internships to apply to once she graduated. Her chosen field revolved around biology, though she was still unsure about which field of biology she would like to go in. The family friends she stayed with were actually a couple that her mother knew back in her college years. They took her in like a daughter. The couple was planning on asking Hazel, but the elder sibling instead stayed with Nigel Marven, which they were fine with. Beth said that she planned on working closer to home, meaning that she may or may not need to work abroad. But her plans would also affect Hanna's decision in moving back home.

Hazel, much like her sister, was bombarded with questions. Both her mother and sister asked about her job, along with how Nigel was doing. She answered to the best of her ability without giving the sensitive details away, specifically the part where the sanctuary she worked in involved rescuing dinosaurs and mammals from extinction using time traveling technology. Hazel only gave them what they needed to know, such as her previous missions with Nigel on "studying" animals in their natural habitats in Africa. She sugarcoated her examples with "big crocodiles", "big cats", African elephants and other "big herbivores", "interesting insects", "big birds", and lemurs, which Hazel half-lied about their rescue, saying their habitats were being destroyed by…natural causes. Hanna, being a science enthusiast, guessed that her sister took a trip to Madagascar to save some lemur species from human resource exploitation. Hazel laughed it off, saying she was correct…partially. She allowed her sister and mother to accept the half-truths she provided.

From her passed experiences with keeping secrets, Hazel learned that doing so was not always the best way. Retaining information would result in major consequences. Her most recent one resulted in her getting broken ribs, having her brain fried, and being called an outcast by the herd she swore to save. Keeping the secret of Prehistoric Park from her family was uncomfortable, especially since she just promised her mother they would not keep any more secrets. Hazel will tell them soon, but not now. The reason was she did not want to overwhelm them more than they needed to and she did not want to ruin the bonds they just mended with a secret as big as that. No, it was best to take it one step at a time.

When the conversation transitioned to their mother, she only explained about what kind of work she did. In this case, it was some big travel agency she worked for. Hazel drowned that part out when the food started to make her sleepy.

But that was last night. Right now, today was the biggest holiday of the year…at least to them.

When Hazel finally made it to the living room, she found the Christmas tree in its full glow. The lights of the living room were turned on. The smell of Christmas pine filled the air, courtesy of the scented candle jars that were lit in the middle of the table. All the presents that Hazel organized yesterday were now in organized piles; one pile was on the long couch and the other two on the shorter couch on each side.

And sitting on that long couch, sipping a mug of dark roast coffee was her mother. She wore a white T-shirt and pink pajamas. Her hair was tied back with a claw clip, much like yesterday.

"Morning Mom," Hazel greeted with a tired smile. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, dear," she replied.

Coming up from behind, just leaving the stairs, was Hanna. She too looked disheveled in her night attire, which consisted of short pink pajama shorts and a matching T-shirt. Her hair, while longer than Hazel's, was tied back into a messy bun.

"Merry Christmas, Mom," Hanna greeted.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she took another sip of coffee before placing the mug on the table. "Well, these presents aren't going to open themselves."

Hazel and Hanna said nothing as they rushed to take their places on the other couch. The two of them had to switch sides when they found their piles were on opposite ends. Once settled, they saw their mother make her way to the Bose Bluetooth speaker. Some fiddling with it using her iPhone 7 and the Mariah Carey Christmas playlist played. The song that began to play was none other than All I Want for Christmas is You; a favorite of Hazel's when she was younger.

"Alright, so who's opening first?" their mother asked.

The elder sibling giggled as she eyed her sister. "I think Hanna here should open yours first. I'm dying to see what that big one is."

Hanna rolled her eyes and retrieved the long, rectangular box that propped against the armrest on her side. She hauled it over and placed it on her lap. From what Hazel was seeing, it was a bit heavy for something so long. Almost immediately, she ripped apart the gold and red wrapping.

In no time at all, a long cardboard box was revealed. Hanna used the scissors that were laid out on the table and cut away at the tape that bound the opening. Styrofoam balls flew out as she dug her hands into the contents.

Her face turned from a gawk into a happy squeal in an instant. "Oh my gosh! It's what I've always wanted!"

Hanna pulled out her gift; a brand new black and pink 60" recurve bow. Her eyes beamed with excitement as her fingers delicately ran through the drawstring. When her hands dug into the contents again, she pulled out something large and cylindrical. One quick look at the contents within and Hazel saw at least a hundred arrows wrapped by tape inside a large quiver.

"A new bow and arrow set!?" the incognito Prehistoric Park employee exclaimed. She then snapped her head at her mother. "Where did you get that!?"

Beth shrugged and smiled smugly. "I have my ways."

"Such perfect balance…and not too heavy either. The next guys at the tournament won't know what's coming," said Hanna. Looking back at her sister, she saw her testing out the draw string with a simple pull. The string stretched easily like a loose rubber band.

"I'm glad you like it dear," their mother mentioned.

The morning wore on with much excitement as the Verans opened their Christmas presents. Hazel excitedly tested out her new presents she received, which included the newest Dell laptop, a new backpack she could use on her missions, a 12 hole ocarina replica from The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, and the whole Jurassic Park collection, including the original trilogy, Jurassic World, and the books by Michael Crichton. All of these gifts the girl fancied heavily. She toyed around with her ocarina first, which she was pleased with and tested out the instrument. Hazel was worried about it being out of tune or not being built correctly, but it worked like a charm. She could not wait to practice some songs and then performing in front of her friends back at the park.

When she moved on to her new laptop, she immediately thought about Prehistoric Park. It was midnight in South Africa at the moment. The Residents would most likely be asleep by now. Hazel wondered about what they would be like in the morning, when they would experience their first REAL Christmas in the 21st century.

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Prehistoric Park…

 _Deinosuchus_ Dip

9:45 AM

Irwin yawned, releasing a primeval hiss through his gaping maw. At least 24 sharp teeth protruded from his reptilian lips. Any herbivore would have run from him when he did this. But to any scientific expert, a crocodilian would do this to release excess heat.

And right now, excess heat was what he was enjoying.

When morning broken, he found himself looking at a strange shack that was recently built on the far edge of his pond. One of the keepers, some human named Ryder wearing one of those Aussie hats, stood by next to one of the wooden beams. He was wearing the usual Prehistoric Park uniform, with the exception of a bone tooth necklace around his neck and sporting a mat of red hair. The _Deinosuchus_ slowly approached him, which he was then greeted by a "Merry Christmas", that same phrase that was mentioned back during that party. The crocodile happily returned that greeting.

Irwin liked him. He came from a land called Australia, which he heard has a land far away from the valley. It was a huge island that was seemingly cut off from the world. The two of them met back at the party, where they exchanged some experiences they went through over the years. Irwin had his full share of hunting he had over the years, even including details from the breakouts in the park, where he saved Nigel from Matilda and took on a couple of giant predators in the next one. Ryder, who was a formal employee from the Australia Zoo, took care of crocodiles in the past, and even learned how to wrangle them. His previous mentor, surprisingly, was the late Steve Irwin, who the _Deinosuchus_ was named after. Irwin was impressed by how fearless he was, and the two stuck together the whole night, including when the whole valley lit up with those flowers.

Irwin was not much of a fan of flowers, but he liked that he was being included in a huge family. Now, he received something much more surprising.

Ryder directed him to the wooden shack. It was a pretty long wooden structure, about as long as him. Irwin curiously hauled himself up onto land and crawled under the building. Looking above, he saw three large "disks". The man told him it was his Christmas present from the whole park, and could be shared with the other small crocodiles around the pond.

Irwin inquired what the whole thing was, but received no answer. Instead, he was told to stay still as the human pressed some buttons on the side of the building. Moments later, the lights lit up, and his scales started to gradually get warmer.

Like other reptiles, crocodiles cannot control their internal temperature at will. When they are warm, they would go under some shade or go to a body of water. When they are warm, they would sunbathe. That was what Irwin usually did whenever he felt cold. The mornings in Prehistoric Park would sometimes get a bit cool for him. Irwin was a tough boot; the era he came from had some cool days. But then he would have to wait until the sun rose to get warm.

Now, thanks to the present he was lying under, he did not need to wait for the sunrise. He could just go here to get warm until the air got warmer later.

Irwin reveled in the new addition, calling it the best thing he's seen besides the first time he tasted cow. How the humans managed to build this place discreetly was beyond him. Then again, he rarely went to that part of the pond, only when he needed some privacy from the smaller crocodiles, which he did not mind at all. He thanked Ryder and requested to give the others his thanks.

"Ah…now this is the life," Irwin basked under the manmade heat. "I could get used to this."

Some movement in the water from his peripheral vision betrayed the presence of the modern day crocodiles he lived with. One quick look over and he saw at least a few of them swimming towards the new contraption.

"Come on over mates!" he laughed deeply, almost shaking the foundation. "There's plenty of room for everyone!"

The crocodiles all huddled under the artificial warmth, sharing in the new spoil that was given to them from the humans at Prehistoric Park. Some of which found themselves climbing on Irwin, getting a "front row seat" to the heat. The giant reptiles fell asleep under the artificial sunlight.

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Herd Grounds

Over at the other end of the park, activity there was just as hyped as it was before and during Gotam's Day. Herd members, as well as lemurs, scurried about in enjoyment of the day that they inducted into their holiday celebration. Gotam's Day may be a day specific for the Valley Herd, Maris Day may be for the lemurs, but they were just like Christmas. Because of that, on Gotam's Day, a portion of the feast they collected was set aside for this very celebration.

They planned on dining on the fruits and leaves they collected for lunch. They even invited any other Resident and the humans for a meal with them. The invitations were still up in the air, but so far, they got RSVPs from the humans that they would join. But that was a long time from then.

Right now, they were having fun with the new items that appeared overnight. In front of the Lemur Tree and near one of the edges of the forest were giant, metal boxes. A few of the keepers were there to greet the individuals that found them. An exchange of holiday greetings and the prehistoric creatures found themselves looking upon a treasure full of various balls, ropes, and colorful discs. They said that they were presents for them, and these were gifts from the whole staff at the park.

It was not long before the rumor of those gifts spread around the herd and the lemur clan. Now, they were playing with the new toys, with some humans in the mix who wanted to play with them too.

Seeing this happy scene pleased the _Iguanodon_ alphas, as well as the lemur matriarch and patriarch, and the _Pteranodon_ scout. They stood at the lake shore, watching their extended family having fun.

"Well, I never thought we'd wake up to this," Neera chuckled. "This Christmas thing is a lot more fun that I thought it was."

"Yeah, this is something we could all get used to," Aladar agreed. "I'm happy that everyone's getting along. Now we wouldn't have to worry about anybody getting scared about our…ferocious neighbors."

"Well, except for one," Yar pointed out, earning a scowl from his daughter.

"Dad…"

"What?" he shrugged accusingly.

"Well, regardless, it's a step in the right direction," Flia said with confidence. "One day, we could all live together without having to those…barriers around them. Well, maybe have some of them still up in case any of them act up."

"Eh, that's a while from now, Flia," the blue-green alpha said with a bit of uncertainty. "But yes. In time, harmony will prevail."

"Well, while you are talking about how the future will be like," Aladar's mate smirked, making the others seem a bit curious as to what she was going at. "I think I'm going to find our kids. They're off playing with Zini on a game called 'Monkey in the Middle'. I'm going to join them."

With that said, she walked on, traversing around the lake shore. Aladar, Flia, Plio, and Yar looked at each other for a moment. Here they were, talking about matters that were beyond them for the moment, when they should be living in the present. A quick laugh between themselves and they took off, catching up to the female alpha.

They spent the rest of the day playing, feasting on their vegetarian buffet, save for Flia who got some fish leftovers from the party, and conversing with their other friends, both old and new, at the park.

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T. rex Hill

Matilda curiously nudged the sphere before her. The red, aromatic, juicy flesh toppled within the confines of the transparent plastic. The smell of the pork bits within infuriated her nostrils, begging her to smash the contraption open.

One minute, she and Terrence were waking up for a normal day. Due to the feast they had back at the party days ago, they felt so full they would not need to eat for a few days. Sure enough, they did not eat anything for a while. When they passed by the corner where their food was usually given, they found two spherical contraptions lying in wait for them…along with the smell of raw meat.

The _Tyrannosaurus_ stalked over and investigated the new additions. The balls had giant slits in them, where the smell could air out. The meat nearly encompassed the whole space inside. If anything, it looked like a giant red eyeball.

Terrence got hungry from being near them and tried to get at the meat inside. He kicked the ball around, trying to crack it open. But to no avail. He then tried lifting it and smashing it on the ground. Again, nothing changed in its appearance. The fact that this new contraption could withstand the bite force of a _Tyrannosaurus_ was shocking.

In fact, both twins spent the next several minutes trying to figure out how to get the goods inside.

"Ugh, what the heck is this?" Terrence licked his teeth, easing the aching gums from smashing it so much on the ground.

"I don't know, but I'm sure if we keep smashing them, we'll find a way to get them open," his sister replied. She nudged at it again with her snout.

The rexes knew that these things came from the humans in Prehistoric Park. They had their scents on them. Most prevalent was the scent of the human Marcus Rey. No doubt he had something to do with their creation. What the rexes did not know was what materials comprised the "gyro balls". The balls were actually made of polybenzimidazole, which was otherwise known as celazole. The material was actually the hardest plastic in the world. When Marcus and his engineer team were making them, they had to add layers upon layers of it into their construction. They even did some test runs to see if they could withstand the bite force of something as strong as a T. rex.

Their work paid off when the rexes found they could not crack open the balls easily. Not even a scratch or a dent was seen on the surfaces. But the meat was placed in there somehow. Matilda and Terrence just needed to find it.

The twins spent the next several minutes playing around with the balls. They slammed them with their jaws, they punted them with their feet and heads, and they even gnawed on them. None of those actions put a scratch on their surface. It was then that Terrence started to get even more frustrated.

"Agh! How do you get these things open!? I know the humans put the meat in here, but how the heck did they do it!?"

Matilda laughed at her twin's hot-headed temper. "Why don't you keep up that attitude? It may do something in opening the balls."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he gave her a death glare.

"They're not going to open by you ranting. Why don't you just keep trying?"

Terrence roared and grabbed the ball into his jaws again. He smashed the ball onto the ground multiple times as if it were some kind of a ragdoll. Each throw resulted in a frustrated roar. Matilda looked on, amused by his increasing temper.

"Why…won't…you…OPEN!?" he childishly ranted.

Finally, with one final smash on the ground, progress occurred. The lid of the sphere flipped open, revealing a way into the crystal expanse filled with the pink meat. The smell of raw flesh perforated his nostrils like nectar to a bee. Terrence slowly grabbed the ball and lifted it. When he did, slabs of the flesh splattered onto the ground while the rest of it remained in the ball from crowding to one side.

"Hey what do you know!?" Matilda made a cheeky grin. "I guess your temper did get it open."

"No. I just kept slamming it," he remarked before satisfyingly digging into the pieces of meat that fell.

"I guess I should try mine too."

With that said, Matilda worked on her own sphere. In no time at all, she too was dining on the meat within her new toy. None of them spoke a word as they ate, but they both felt pleased that they now had something to play around with that could exercise their bite power as well as their reflexes.

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Titanosaur Treetops

While most of the Residents were enjoying the new gifts they were given, the Residents in the Titanosaur Treetops were having a "mini-party". Like everyone else, they too received gifts from the "mysterious visitors". The elephants, as well as the large sauropods present, were playing around with some giant balls they were given. Here and there were large yoga balls that were donated to them. They rolled around, bounced in the air, and rebounded from the edges of the trees.

The giant herbivores, save for the elephants, never came across these contraptions before. The balls proved to be a new discovery for them, and they immediately took a liking to how enticing they were. They played their own version of catch, where they would bat the balls to each other. Others were doing some balancing games by making sure the ball did not roll off their snouts.

But balls were not the only gifts they received. The large sauropods received a large pool tub filled with smooth stones within their forest. The tub was actually a portable pool that became filled with the stones they would ingest after every meal. A sauropod's digestive system was weak compared to other species. Their digestive system was not strong enough to break down their food. To compensate, they would need to swallow special rocks to help grind up the food. So a large tub filled with such stones in one place was a special gift indeed.

While everyone in the area was pleased to have been given gifts, none were so proud of this scene than Yin, Martha, Mujaji, Charles, and Breezy the _Microraptor_.

"Well, I never thought we'd have another party around this time," Charles said smugly. "I suppose these 'holidays' really are all that to other folks."

"You said it Charles," Breezy giggled. She adjusted her footing on Yin's back as she returned the feelings to her feet. "My friends are still flitting around the park as we speak. Those huge 'whirly' things on the ground are keeping us aloft. Now we don't need to keep landing everywhere just to get to higher ground. I don't know if it's just me, but I smell 'human intervention' in this."

"It's not just you Breezy," Mujaji the elephant matriarch rumbled. "One of my sisters saw a group of humans sneak their gifts to a few of our other friends. I saw a small group put some clear balls filled with meat into Terrence and Matilda's home."

"Yup, definitely the humans," said the _Microraptor_. "I made some rounds today and managed to get a glimpse of what our neighbors got. All of our meat eating neighbors, save for Irwin who got a little wooden shelter where he could get warm, got the same clear balls that our rex friends received. Even that foul-mouthed Rascal received one, though he somehow got his head stuck in it when he was trying to scarf down the whole thing."

The small group erupted in laughter. Rascal? Get his head stuck while figuring out his gift? Now that was a laugh. Each of them imagined him unleashing foul-mouthed remarks as he tried to get his head out.

"Bruno and his tribe-mates got some large pieces of wood attached to ball things that they could hit. But here is the funny part," she stifled a snicker. "Every time they hit the wood, it comes rebounding back to hit them!"

Again, they laughed. Though a contraption like that was unusual, they could see how it would fit a couple of creatures with large claws. The wood would be there as a form of recreation and to keep their claws sharp. But it was funny to think of them chasing after large wooden cylinders on balls as they roll away, or even them getting hit by their own toys.

"Thena and Oddie's little herd, along with Ornith's group, received those same balls that our friends here are playing with," Breezy mentioned. I suppose they took a liking to those games at that party that they wanted some balls of their own."

"No surprise there," Yin said with amusement. Like her other herd members, she too roamed around the party perimeter days ago.

"Those _Protoceratops_ younglings got smaller versions of those toys our friends in the valley received. The problem was the less 'flimsy' ones got torn apart within a short amount of time," the mini carnivore pointed out.

"Goodness me," Martha the mammoth exclaimed. "Is there anything those children will not break? I suppose being so young means you'd need ways to burn all that energy."

The African elephant snorted and playfully smacked her adopted sister on the shoulder. The megafauna recoiled in surprise. "Oh Martha, I thought you would know about that. Mikiya has that same kind of energy."

"Yes and she does tend to wear out those who are trying to keep an eye on her," Martha rolled her eyes at the thought of her adopted niece exhausting her aunts and mother.

"Alright let's see…" Breezy continued, drawing everyone's attention again. "Our insect friends received a new gourmet. From what I saw from my vantage point, they were frog parts, beetles, worms, crickets, lizard bits, and cockroaches. I wish I was in there. I wanted some of their feast."

"Ah. Well that sounds…lovely," Yin politely remarked but did her best to hide her disgust.

The others, save for Breezy, said the same thing. Being so large meant that little things would disgust them. But just eating them was something they could not stomach. Breezy was the only one who seemed unfazed by the disgusting feast. Living on a diet on insects and small animals, she would not mind gorging on plates full of bugs and amphibian parts.

"Let's see…oh!" Breezy realized her last point. "Theo and Ellie got two more Tricera-tractors. Some of the keepers around here are jousting them with those things. They're having a bit of a competition now."

Charles raised an eye ridge. "Tricera-tractor? What on earth is that?"

Yin turned to him and explained it first before any of them could start. "They're contraptions the humans originally made for Theo when he first came here. He was still in his adolescence and kept on attacking anything. He was aggressive because it was his mating season, hence why he was in a…short fuse. The keepers here developed a Tricera-tractor to help him burn off that energy."

"Ah, that would explain it," the _Diplodocus_ nodded in acknowledgement. "Now there are two more of them. Theo may have some competition. If I know that little lady he's with, she's got quite the muscle and perhaps a worse temper than him on a bad day. I'm betting on her to beat those humans, and even more so her mate. I'm willing to bet my entire dinner if she won."

"Careful," Yin nudged him in a friendly notion. "I may just eat that dinner. But you're right, the humans may be in over their heads on this one."

"Will they be all right?"

The _Borealosaurus_ laughed loudly. "Of course! They may be reckless sometimes, but they know to spot danger when it comes to them."

"Well, that is a relief," Martha sighed. Then, she eyed Breezy in a more…cautious manner. "Breezy, what about…Espantos?"

"Hm?" she perked up at the sound of his name. Her eyes lit up in realization about the one Resident she left out. "Oh! Um, last I heard, he was off in the valley section somewhere? I can't remember."

"Really?" Mujaji narrowed, feeling on edge. A loose hyperactive, yet childishly innocent carnivore like Espantos seemed harmless, but he could cause trouble if not kept on a tight leash.

Breezy shrugged her wings. "I don't know. He tends to run around the place. I have a hard time catching up to him most of the time."

"Well, whatever it is," Martha reassured her group of friends. "I'm sure he's fine. And everyone else is fine too. The day he starts turning on everyone is the day when the whole world catches on fire."

"Unless he starts that fire by accident," the elephant matriarch mused.

Yin shook her great neck and moved on ahead. She turned back for a moment and gave her companions a warm grin. "Well, I don't know about you folks, but I think I'm going to play a game of ball. You're free to join me if you like," she said before walking off. Breezy just barely managed to grab ahold of a tree trunk after she jumped off from the titanosaur.

"That's a kind offer Ms. Yin," Charles replied. He then turned in the other direction towards a large cluster of ferns in the distance. "But I think I'm going to get a little snack first. You folks have fun!"

"And I think we'll go and check on Mikiya; make sure she did not get into any kind of trouble," Mujaji said as she gestured Martha along.

The giants all went in their separate ways. Yin mingled with one group of her herd and left with them for a game of what the humans called "Monkey in the Middle". The pachyderms disappeared passed another playing group of _Diplodocus_ with Woodstock and her son Clearwater. The young _Supersaurus_ , who still bore his leg cast from his previous injury, was just as energetic as any youngling. He ran around the place, bouncing the ball with his neck and tail, while passing it along to the rest of his extended herd. Martha and Mujaji playfully bat the ball back to him when the ball hit them by accident.

As for Breezy, she climbed up to the nearest branch she saw. This day was quite the enjoyable one. Seeing everyone in the park celebrating this holiday as an extended family was like living in a fantasy. Only this fantasy was a reality. Now, everyone was one step closer to getting along with each other.

"I wonder what the future will be like for everyone here?" she wondered that as she flew off towards another part of the park.

The echoes of play and merriment were left behind as she glided off to join the rest of her Guild.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of crackling fire filled the room. The wood within the hearth twinkled in orange, black, and red within the dancing flames. The faint smell of chestnuts perforated the chamber like a lingering smoke. And the snow, which painted the window outside with its wintery glow, still quietly fell.

Espantos clutched a white mug in his right foot. His clawed feet, though large, were able to hold the delicate object without breaking it. He brought it up closer to him, almost as if he were about to sip the contents inside. At the same time, his other foot flipped the book that he had on his lap closed.

"And that's the whole story," he said with glee. "You see? Miracles do happen! They may be in the unlikeliest of places, like under a rock or on a tree, but they can happen. Hazel and her mama made up and were a family again! And not only that, but we got the best party ever…and a whole lot of leftovers! Yup…the holidays sure are the best."

"Now you're probably wondering about what happened AFTER the holidays," Espantos mentioned, twitching one of his talons on his cup. "Well, if you must know, my big friends in the valley decided to get friendly with some of the carnos around here. I mean…most of them. Progress cannot happen overnight you know. Now this may be a rumor, and I'm still looking into it, but I heard that some of us around here hold secret wrestling games at night, when no one is looking. I don't know. It could be fake."

He swallowed to wet his dry throat. "Let's see…um, I heard that most of the other human friends won't be back until a few days from now. Hazelnut is still with her family so she won't be back for another few days. Oh! As for Devil-oh and Raspy? Well, they're still the same. But if you must know, I think they're getting to like being around everyone else here. But hey! That's just me!"

Espantos placed his book onto the ground with his free foot. He raised his mug higher in a "cheers" motion. "I'm sure you guys have other places to be and holidays to celebrate. I hope you enjoyed this story. Now remember, be respectful to others, remember what is important, and don't forget…EAT A LOT OF FOOD!"

He squawked in laughter. "Now if you'll excuse me, this drink needs to be drunk…"

"ESPANTOS!"

The Terror Bird shoved the cup away from him, causing some of the hot liquid to splash onto the pristine carpet. The floor now had dark brown splotches that would be difficult to remove. Espantos gulped, his muscles tensing in apprehension at the intruder's furious face.

The intruder was none other than Marcus Rey, who just recently returned from his holiday vacation. His hair was properly fixed up without the knots and sweat and his attire consisted of a simple green T-shirt and light brown Eddie Bauer shorts.

"God damn it Espantos! What the hell are you doing here in the barrack lounge! How the heck did you get in here!?" he ranted.

Unknown to Marcus, Espantos had apparently found his way into the employee barrack lounge due to the front door leading inside being wide open. The Terror Bird had found this place during his route courier job, and just wanted to explore this part of the park, while hunting for a snack. He also visited Breezy and her Guild on their recommendations on his story regarding Hazel, which they happily approved since it would inspire the holiday spirit for the future. Seeing the front door open made him curious, and the lounge that had the crackling fireplace and the roasting chestnuts drew him in. As for the sight of snow falling outside in a wintery landscape, it was just a projector that one of the other employees accidentally left on.

Marcus narrowed his eyes, waiting for an answer from the cornered Miocene predator. Then, he noticed the mug the avian held…along with the dark brown splotches on the floor. The man's eyes bulged in an anger held at bay. "Is that…hot chocolate?"

"Whoops! I guess I overstayed my welcome here! I need to get back on the job! I'm sure Devil-oh is waiting for the daily weather report! Bye!"

Espantos bolted for the nearest window. In a desperate attempt to escape, he jumped through the glass, shattering it. The debris fell onto the grass, and splattered on the carpet. Marcus ran to the destroyed piece of human property, watching in anger as the _Phorusrhacos_ escaped towards the inner portions of the park.

"Espantos, get back here!" he shouted. Using his reflexes, he jumped over the broken ledge and chased after him, even though he was no match for a carnivorous bird that could easily outrun him. "You're in big trouble! You owe the park a new window!"

THE END

 _ **Darksage: Ah, what a wonderful way to celebrate the holidays. Nothing like a good old-fashioned Christmas story.**_

 _ **Marc-Ello: You said it. Man, that took a while, but we finally did it!**_

 _ **Darksage: Yup. Oh right, before we forget, that character that was with Irwin in this chapter? His name is Ryder and we don't actually own him. He is a character created by Lucerok002, and is thus owned by him. Thanks for letting us use him**_ __ _ **. Also, introduction to Hazel's family! Hooray for new characters!**_

 _ **Marc: Oh, and just to put this out there, but the meat spheres that we used in this chapter were based off of the gyrospheres from Jurassic World.**_

 _ **Darksage: We just decided to modify the idea a bit and make them useful for carnivore enrichment. As mentioned in the chapter, they're made out of the hardest plastic…with a few extra layers for the strongest biters.**_

 _ **Marc: Moving on…Now as you guys are already aware, the final chapters for Prehistoric Revolution are still in development. They should be ready sometime after New Years.**_

 _ **Darksage: But, due to our schedules, we may be a bit busy in the coming days. Nevertheless, we'll do our best to get them posted.**_

 _ **Marc: Other than that, we hope you enjoyed this story!**_

 _ **Darksage: Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**_

 _ **Marc: Or if you're not into those holidays, Happy Kwanza, Happy Hannukah, etc. etc. Happy Holidays!**_


	6. PCB Soundtrack List

_**Prehistoric Christmas Bash: A DaPPA Christmas Special Soundtrack**_

 _ **Disclaimer: We don't own these songs. They belong to their respective artists.**_

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel by ThePianoGuys (Introduction/Narrator telling the story)

Deck the Halls by Percy Faith (Tree decorating)

Christmas Eve/Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Played in Marcus' music app when he arrived at the large Christmas Tree with Hazel and Co.)

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Sara Evans ft. Olivia and Audrey (Espantos' inspiration for his version)

Fum, Fum, Fum by Manheim Steamroller (Sabrina and Cesar talk to Hazel about Hunter's Bounty)

Silence is All You Know by Katherine Jenkins (Titanosaurs, Diplodocus, and Supersaurs singing)

Holiday Bells by Brandon Feichter (Aladar and Neera explaining Gotam's Day/at the Herd's Grounds)

I'll Be Home for Christmas by Amy Grant (plays when Hazel is inadvertently wandering towards Diablo's enclosure)

What Child is This? by Lindsey Stirling (Hazel and Diablo talking)

Where Are You Christmas by Faith Hill (Hazel alone in her room)

Oh Tannenbaum by Vince Guaraldi (Christmas party song)

Baby It's Cold Outside by Idina Menzel and Michael Bublé (The song a drunken Marcus sang with Julie during the party)

Christmas Canon Rock by Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Hazel, Suzanne, Sarah, and Julie song they performed at the party)

O Holy Night by Josh Groban (Hazel's solo at the party after her speech)

Silent Night by Kelly Clarkson (Blooming of the Night Flowers)

Snowflake Woods by Derek and Brandon Fiechter (Hazel back at home with her Mom and Hanna)

All I Want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey (Played during Christmas Day at the Veran House)

O Come All Ye Faithful by Pentatonix (Christmas in Prehistoric Park)

Joy to the World by Casting Crowns (Ending Song)


End file.
